Invasive Aquatic Species Are Threatening Texas Waterways

byMarina Garcia

Across the street from Sewell Park, while most people tried to get a suntan or go tubing on a cloudy day, a group of researchers worked to capture suckermouth armored catfish, an invasive species in the San Marcos River.

Invasive aquatic species such as the suckermouth armored catfish compete with native species for food, cause erosion and wreck ecological damage, experts say.

‘The Cruelty is the Point,’ Planned Parenthood leader says in SXSW keynote targeting Texas abortion law

byKrissi Reeves

Hours after the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the state’s controversial Senate Bill 8 abortion law will remain in place, Planned Parenthood’s president delivered a searing rebuttal to the ruling Friday at South by Southwest.

New Dawn of Psychedelic Therapies and Research Take Root in Texas

byJessica Lenamond

During the last regular Texas legislative session, the bipartisan House Bill 1802 was adopted, allowing studies on “alternative treatments” for veterans’ PTSD. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School have established the Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy, which will start its studies on psychedelic-assisted treatments later this year.

Texans Heading to Cyber Games to Tackle Tomorrow’s Digital Challenges

byAndrew Logan

Two Texans have been selected by the U.S. Cyber Games to join its inaugural national team, which will represent the United States in the International Cybersecurity Challenge in Athens, Greece, in June.

Tractor Innovation Comes at Cost to Texas Farmers

byGabriella Ybarra

Major tractor manufacturers do not provide all the materials or software to allow farmers or independent mechanics to fix highly advanced tractors, leaving farmers reliant on company-authorized mechanics, which can be costly and time-consuming. 

Farmers are seeking greater ability to make repairs themselves — part of a much broader “right to repair” movement.

Longhorn Women’s Basketball Greats Return to Say Goodbye to Erwin Center

byBrandon Jenkins

Some of the pioneers of Texas women’s basketball came to the Frank Erwin Center to say goodbye one final time to the home of the Longhorns for the past 46 years

Therapists: Calling Health Care for Trans Kids ‘Child Abuse’ Is Hateful and Dangerous

bySamuel Stark 

Central Texas counselors and psychologists who work with transgender adolescents say Texas politicians’ recent statements about trans therapy are an attempt to rile up voters at the cost of an extremely vulnerable community.   

As Texas Republicans Attack Gender-Affirming Health Care, Moms of Trans Children Say They’re Not Backing Down

byJill Ament

Parents of transgender children in Texas say they are “freaking out.” They are unnerved by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive on Feb. 22 telling the Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate reports of transgender youth in Texas receiving gender-affirming health care. Abbott’s letter contends that procedures such as hormonal treatments, gender-aligning surgery or the use of puberty-blockers is child abuse under state law. 

On March 2, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas said it had filed a lawsuit to block Abbott’s directive. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a DFPS employee who is a parent of a transgender teenager and has already had an investigator come to their home.

How Prescribed Burns Aid Endangered Species, Restore Grasslands and Help Train Troops (Among Other Things)

byPaula Levihn-Coon

Experts say prescribed fires are a safe and cost-effective tool to improve habitat for endangered animals, restore grasslands, and remove invasive species. Of thousands of prescribed burns that are ignited every year, only about 1% escape, according to a study by the Great Plains Fire Science Exchange. 

After Statements From Texas Leaders, Protesters Take to the Streets for Transgender Rights

byAlexa K. Haverlah 

A student-led march for transgender rights briefly turned violent Sunday when an Austin police officer slammed a protester to the ground.

A More Efficient Financial System: UT Professor Explains Potential of Cryptocurrency and the Blockchain

byAlexa K. Haverlah 

In an interview with Reporting Texas, Cesare Fracassi, director of the Blockchain Initiative and associate professor of finance at the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin, shed light on cryptocurrency and the blockchain.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Greg Casar Rally Progressive Voters in Austin 

byGabriella Ybarra

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, urged Austin voters to rally behind congressional candidate Greg Casar Sunday. 

During Rally in Austin, O’Rourke Denounces Abbott Over Jan. 6 and Electric Power Grid

byMarina Garcia

O’Rourke is traveling around the state and hosting a series of rallies dubbed the Keeping the Lights On: A Statewide Drive for a Brighter Texas campaign.

Rally Urges Texas Republicans to Ban Vaccine Mandates, Critical Race Theory

byEniola Longe

Saying that Republican leaders failed to complete their conservative agenda, hundreds rallied at the Texas Capitol on Saturday to call for another special session of the Legislature.

With wind blowing, crowd chanting and signs raised, the Save Texas Peaceful Rally and Prayer featured speakers decrying vaccine mandates and “critical race theory” in schools.

“We do not co-parent with the government,” read one sign in the crowd. Others said, “End medical tyranny,” “Freedom not force,” and “Mandate personal liberty.”

How Dallas Became a Hotbed of High School Basketball Recruiting

byBrandon Jenkins

When the 24 McDonald’s High School All-American basketball players were announced Jan. 25, five members of this year’s elite class were from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Only once in the 44-year history of the all-star game have five players from one metropolitan area been selected.

Texas Politicos Praise Trump at First Rally in Texas Since Presidential Defeat

bySam Stark

Texas’ top GOP elected officials heaped praise on the former President and used incendiary political rhetoric. Speakers included Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. The scene reflected Trump’s vise-like grip on the Texas GOP and the prominent role his supporters will play in the upcoming Republican primary elections. 

Texas Ukrainians Pray for Peace as Ukraine-Russia Tensions Escalate

byJill Ament

Many Texans of Ukrainian descent are concerned with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troop buildup on the Ukrainian border and possible cyber attacks on Ukraine’s government, potentially signaling intentions to invade Ukraine.

On Jan. 23, the United States ordered Americans working at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine and their families to leave the country. 

Anti-Abortion Protesters Celebrate Legislative Success During Capitol Rally

byPaula Levihn-Coon

About 4,000 anti-abortion protesters descended on the south lawn of the Texas Capitol Saturday for the  annual Texas Rally for Life.

Protesters Rally Against Oil Company’s Gulf Coast Expansion on Karankawa Site

byCristela Jones

 Chanting “respect our existence or expect our resistance,” nearly 400 people protested outside an Austin bank Saturday to try to stop construction of an oil terminal on ancient Indigenous land near Corpus Christi.

“We are still here, and we are still fighting,” said protest organizer Chiara Sunshine Beaumont, a descendant of the Karankawa people who once lived on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Saturday’s protest followed months of efforts by Indigenous groups in support of the Karankawa’s objections to expansion of oil export terminals owned by Enbridge, a Canadian petrochemical pipeline company. Beaumont said her group chose to protest Saturday outside a Bank of America on South Congress Avenue because the bank is a large underwriter of Enbridge’s projects.

Trained Master Naturalists Indispensable to Conservation Studies 

byPaula Levihn-Coon

Founded in 1998, the Texas Master Naturalist Program is jointly sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.