Texas

Dallas’ Move to Universal Pre-K Isn’t Being Matched in Austin

byIsabel Neumann

As some Texas school districts expand free pre-kindergarten to all students, Austin families still face limits on who qualifies, highlighting how access to early education depends on far more than demand.  Dallas Independent School District leaders recently approved a plan to eliminate tuition for all pre-K students.  But Austin continues to follow the state’s eligibility-based […]

A Celestial Festival Celebrates West Texas’ Dark Skies With Awe, Education

bySheldon Munroe

The stars truly aligned as more than 300 stargazers from across the country looked upward at McDonald Observatory to conclude the 2026 Dark Skies Festival under the open skies of West Texas.

Overcast skies had observatory staff prepare for virtual demonstrations, but then the sky emerged, evoking excited whispers and “awws” as more than 3,000 stars became visible to the naked eye. Several globular clusters, the Milky Way and very bright Jupiter drew particular excitement.

“We are here to appreciate the stars as well as the wildlife and human health,” observatory staffer Ryan Cantrell said. 

SNAP Recipients Decry Texas’ New Limits on Foods They Can Buy

byDestiny Lewis

Candy and sugary drinks are now off-limits for Texas SNAP recipients — a change that’s fueling debate over who should decide what low-income families can buy.
Texas officials say the new policy is meant to improve public health by limiting access to certain foods, but critics argue it places additional restrictions on people already facing financial hardship.
But critics say the policy gives the government too large a role in shoppers’ choices.

While the Government Downplays Big Bend Border Wall Construction, Residents Say It Is Actively Continuing

bySheldon Munroe

Despite the federal government’s assertion that construction of the Big Bend border wall has stopped, locals say barrier construction both in the national park and greater region is still underway.
West Texas residents say damage is already visible to one of the most prestigious remaining American frontier landscapes after a months-long process that has involved no public consultation.  They say that both public and private lands are being divided  with great swaths about to become inaccessible even to owners.
“They’re still preparing to build physical walls and barriers in those areas,” said a retired Big Bend National Park ranger . “We don’t trust them.”

Inside Texas Immigration Detention: Families, Health Concerns and Lasting Impact

byErika Gonzalez

Four months after leaving the family detention center in Dilley, Kelly Vargas’ 6-year-old daughter still wakes up at night asking about “the bad ICE men.” Vargas, a Colombian mother who had lived in New York for more than a year before being detained in late 2025, is now trying to rebuild her life in Bogotá, Colombia. But the effects have stayed with her.
“She doesn’t forget,” Vargas said, adding that her daughter often asks, “Mom, do you remember when we were in jail?”
Others in Texas have described similar experiences. Immigration detention centers have drawn growing attention as advocates, lawyers and medical professionals say problems with health care, crowding and oversight are affecting people held in custody.

Western Wear Goes Global

byMikhelia Williams

In Italy, they call it Texani style.
In New York City, cowboy boots walk runways and concrete sidewalks.
The Western look has traveled far from Texas. The weirder development is that Texas may no longer own it.
On a midafternoon on South Congress Avenue, the look is everywhere.

Ketamine Clinics for Treating Mental Health Issues Are Booming. But Is the Drug Effective?

byAJ Muonagolu

With around 13 clinics in Austin alone, ketamine clinics are rising as an alternative to traditional psychotherapy. Increasingly, Texans are exploring psychedelic therapy in hopes of treating depression, anxiety or other chronic mental health issues. But experts worry about ketamine being used as a one-size-fits-all approach to psychiatric care because of concerns over safety and […]

Hill Country Residents Are Worried About a New Wastewater Treatment Facility. Experts Say It’s Complicated.

byMax Mazoch

Whitney Lauderdale has loved the beauty of the Texas Hill Country for as long as she can remember. It was the place that captured the heart of her grandfather, who purchased the 28-acre Comal County property Lauderdale lives on, and one that she hopes to pass to her two children.
“This is where we plan on spending our forever,” Lauderdale said. 
It’s idyllic. But Lauderdale worries it may not be in years to come.
In the past year, Comal County residents were shocked to learn a new permit for a wastewater treatment facility had been proposed for a development in Fischer in the northern part of the county.

Climate-Conscious Texans Are Buying 3D-Printed Homes. Commercial Developers Are Next. 

byRachel N. Madison

Most people are still amazed by 3D printers’ ability to print handheld objects. Imagine if you could print an entire house. It turns out that you can.
3D-printing construction company ICON announced an upgraded printing arm, “Titan,” at its South Austin headquarters Wednesday. The new system is designed for large-scale, multi-story commercial development, which will be put in the hands of builders to employ 3D printing across the country.
“We’ve been developing these technologies for eight years now, and the mission of the company is to put new ways to build in the hands of the global construction and building industry,” ICON co-founder and CEO Jason Ballard said.   

As Gen Z Struggles to Navigate Sex, Texas Makes It Harder to Get Information in Schools

byOisakhose Aghomo

Experts say Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012, is struggling to navigate real-life sex and dating culture in a digital age, and research points to this generation having less sex. Now, their teenage counterparts will have less access to information about sex after parents’ rights groups successfully lobbied for a new law that restricts Texas schools from teaching sex education or providing student health services unless parents have specifically authorized it.

Federal Judge Allows Protesters Lawsuit Against UT to Proceed on First Amendment Claims

byDestiny Lewis

A federal judge has allowed key First Amendment claims to move forward in a lawsuit filed by University of Texas at Austin students who were arrested and disciplined after participating in a pro-Palestine protest on campus in April 2024. The lawsuit, filed by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in April 2025, alleges that UT-Austin officials and […]

ICE Raids Disrupt Workforce and Construction Projects Across Texas

byErika Gonzalez

Early in the morning, Benny Meléndez, owner of the residential construction company BM3, called one of his workers who hadn’t arrived at the job site in the Rio Grande Valley, where they were supposed to pour concrete that day.
“Come. ICE just took him,” the worker’s wife said.
Contractors across South Texas have reported immigration operations near construction sites, with workers being detained while arriving or leaving. And the fear is spreading.