Texas

Critics Say Texas’ New Social Studies Curriculum Presents Narrower Version of History

byNoemi Castanon and Max Mazoch

Illene Barrera has taught social studies at Lehman High School in Kyle for nine years. Though the job can be challenging, Barrera has kept a positive attitude while preparing her students for the future.  
“My goal for them is to be able to understand the world around them,” Barrera said, “and knowing the history of the country and then how it affects them, hopefully inspires them to be civic participants.”
But the way Barrera teaches is about to change.

Texas HUB Changes Put Minority-Owned Businesses at Risk of Losing Access to State Contracts

byErika Gonzalez

In the weeks leading up to December 2025, Cortena Williams, owner of a Burleson water damage restoration company, was reviewing proposals and preparing agreements she said could help build up her business. After years trying to establish herself in an industry dominated by larger contractors, she had moved closer to contracts with major public institutions, thanks in part to the state’s Historically Underutilized Business Program designed to help businesses owned by minorities and women compete for public contracts.
But then the Texas comptroller’s office issued emergency rules restructuring the HUB program and stripping women- and minority-owned businesses of their HUB certifications. Instead, the program’s focus shifted to helping businesses owned by veterans.
“The comptroller’s actions ended those conversations overnight, not because I wasn’t qualified, but because they eliminated a program that gave me a path to compete,” Williams said.

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 […]

New Texas Abortion Guidance Aims to Clarify the Law, but Uncertainty Remains for Doctors, Patients

bySamantha Rubin and Erika Gonzalez

By the time patients arrive at the Women’s Reproductive Clinic of New Mexico, many have already spent hours on the road from Texas, sometimes traveling overnight after arranging child care and scraping together money for the trip to access care that is no longer available in their state.
Now, for the first time since Texas banned abortions, the Texas Medical Board has issued formal training intended to clarify when physicians can legally provide abortion care under the medical emergency exception. The guidance follows legislative changes in 2025 that required the board to create educational materials for physicians about the law.

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.