Reporting Texas
News and features from UT-Austin's School of Journalism
Reporting Texas Archives
Nov 14, 2025

Reporting Texas TV – Nov 13, 2025

Journalism students at the University of Texas at Austin produced their fourth newscast for the Spring 2025 semester. Our mission is to empower students with hands-on journalism experience while providing our audience with insightful coverage of campus events, local news, and issues that matter most. By fostering a collaborative environment, we cultivate the next generation […]

Nov 14, 2025

Austin Officials Warn of Rising Wildfire Danger as Dry Weather Continues

Months of below-average rainfall have pushed Austin into a stretch of dry weather that officials worry could lay the groundwork for wildfires. Austin and Travis County issued preemptive disaster declarations on Oct. 20 after watching vegetation dry out and winds increase. Fire crews say the move is meant to get ahead of any outbreak rather […]

Nov 14, 2025

Why Student Voter Engagement Matters in Off‑Year Elections

November 4th marked Election Day — an off-year ballot allowing Texans to vote on several constitutional amendments. “With constitutional amendment elections, you’re actually voting on the words that are going to be in the Texas Constitution,” said Joshua Blank, Research Director of the Texas Politics Project. “You’re going to be sitting down and making a […]

Nov 14, 2025

Independent Writers Find Their Voice at the 30th anniversary of the annual Texas Book Festival

As the Texas Book Festival marked its 30th anniversary, hundreds of readers filled the Capitol grounds in downtown Austin to celebrate stories and the writers behind them. For independent authors, the two-day event wasn’t just about selling books; it was about being seen, heard, and finding a place in Texas’ growing literary community. Every fall, […]

Nov 14, 2025

Paving the Way: UT Austin Celebrates Its First-Generation Trailblazers

From navigating financial aid to moving away from home, many UT Austin students are entering new territory as first-gen students. Nationwide, First-Generation College Celebration Day is observed on November 8, but at UT Austin, the pride lasts all week. The university hosted its 7th annual First-Gen Week, with events and activities held across campus. Today, […]

Nov 14, 2025

Austin ISD Faces Pushback Over School Closure Plans

Austin ISD is moving forward with plans to close several schools next year, despite growing resistance from parents, teachers and community members. The district has scaled back its initial proposal from 13 campuses to 10, but families continue to attend board meetings and rallies, urging officials to slow down and reconsider the closures. Outside AISD […]

Nov 14, 2025

DACA Helped Them Get Legal Commercial Vehicle Licenses. A New Policy Took Them Away.

  At 4 a.m., Yeni Renderos’ alarm went off, just like every other day. Half-asleep, she made coffee, woke her 16-year-old daughter and drove her to school before climbing into her truck, “Rosendo,” as she affectionately called it. For 10 years, that routine had defined her life in Houston, driving to construction sites, convinced her […]

Nov 14, 2025

Unaccompanied Minors Face New Hurdles as Trump Administration Levies Unprecedented Fees

  Immigrant children seeking asylum in the United States are facing thousands of dollars in new fees and other hurdles mandated this year by Congress, Texas refugee advocates say. “Policy changes that we’ve seen over the past few months …  all have one thing in common, and that is targeting the rights of migrant children […]

Nov 13, 2025

Rio Market

Mingling within the aisles of Friendly Rio Market are rows of imported snacks, basic toiletries and everyday groceries essential to the residents of UT Austin’s West Campus.  However, in the center aisle, a rarer commodity can be found: local bands and artists performing live music for all ages, free of charge.  Since 2022, Rio Market […]

Nov 12, 2025

As a New Texas Law Clamps Down on School Libraries, ‘Librotraficantes’ Fight Back

Just two months after a new Texas law expanded parents’ power to challenge school library books, authors gathered at the Texas Book Festival’s Banned Book Bash to read from titles that have been banned or challenged, or which might face future restrictions. The festival’s Librotraficantes: Banned Book Bash, held Saturday at Cheer Up Charlies, brought […]

Nov 11, 2025

‘You’re Living in a War Zone Now’: Four Latina Writers on Life in South Texas

Four authors featured in the new anthology “¡Somos Tejanas!” told the Texas Book Festival Saturday that they will not be silenced in times like these, when many Latinos feel threatened. “The reason that this book was made is because women are under attack in the United States and Latinos in general are being kidnapped,” said […]

Nov 09, 2025

Young Americans Could Change the U.S. Position in the Middle East, Authors Suggest

Young Americans’ shifting opinion on the Israel-Palestine conflict could change U.S. involvement in the Middle East, a former U.S. diplomat said Saturday at the Texas Book Festival. “We are now living in a period which is, to me, unique in the history of this country,” said Robert Malley, who served in the Clinton, Obama and […]

Nov 08, 2025

High School Marchers Protest Restrictions on Speech and Academic Freedom: ‘We are Done Being Polite About Our Rights.'”

College and high school students marched to the Texas State Capitol Friday to protest new state laws that they say limit student speech and harm public education.
“To Texas lawmakers, hands off our youth — because we are done being polite about our rights.” high school student Kara Newton yelled through a megaphone to protesters. “We are done being complacent. We want change and we want it now!”

Nov 08, 2025

Students Sit In But Are Denied Meeting with UT Provost over Trump Compact

Twelve representatives of Students for a Democratic Society staged a sit-in Friday as part of a protest at the University of Texas Tower to demand the school reject a “compact” offered by the Trump administration. The protesters planned to deliver their demands, which included holding a public meeting regarding the state of the compact, to the office of the UT Provost William Inboden. They planned to stay in the provost’s office until they were able to deliver the list to Inboden personally. The sit-in resulted in threats of arrest from university officials.

Nov 07, 2025

On the Edge of Closure: The Daily Struggle of Rural Hospitals in Texas

Hundreds of workers in Texas’ rural hospitals face long shifts but without any certainty that their hospital will still be there next year. 
Texas leads the nation in rural hospital closures, according to the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals. In the past 20 years, 26 rural hospitals have shut their doors.

Nov 07, 2025

Reporting Texas TV – Nov 6, 2025

Journalism students at the University of Texas at Austin produced their third newscast for the Spring 2025 semester. Our mission is to empower students with hands-on journalism experience while providing our audience with insightful coverage of campus events, local news, and issues that matter most. By fostering a collaborative environment, we cultivate the next generation […]

Nov 07, 2025

Big Ticket Still Causing Big Trouble for Students at Vanderbilt Game

Thousands of football fans took to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday for the Longhorns game against Vanderbilt. The stadium sold out, but students across UT expressed struggles claiming tickets, even when they purchased the Big Ticket at the beginning of the school year. “It looked like a long queue and then you sit […]

Nov 07, 2025

East Austin Community Center Provides Help Amid SNAP Benefit Shutdown

The supplemental nutritional assistance program (SNAP) was officially cut off on Nov. 1 after a 35 day government shutdown. Now, over 140,000 central Texans are searching for ways to provide for themselves and are relying on resources to help.  In East Austin, the Baptist Community Center Mission is providing multiple ways for residents struggling with […]

Nov 07, 2025

How UT’s Spooky Season Events Help Students Feel at Home on Campus

As spooky season takes over Austin, UT organizations like Campus Events and Entertainment and University Housing and Dining are finding creative ways to help students celebrate Halloween, meet new people, and feel at home on campus.  Inside the Shirley Bird Perry Ballroom at the Texas Union, the Campus E+E’s Unwind Committee hosted its annual “Who […]

Nov 07, 2025

SEC Nation Partners With UT Food Pantry to Fight Food Insecurity

Campus food pantry UT Outpost partnered with traveling college football show SEC Nation this past Saturday in an effort to fight food insecurity. The Pantry, in collaboration with the show, hosted a food drive alongside the broadcast.  “SEC Nation actually has been doing this with all of the schools over the last couple of weeks,” […]