Reporting Texas
News and features from UT-Austin's School of Journalism
Reporting Texas Archives
Nov 21, 2025

A League of Their Own, Once Again

At 4 years old, Abby Moore picked up a baseball bat for the first time in her Arlington, Texas, neighborhood. She was small, fearless and instantly hooked. As she grew, Moore never drifted away from the sport the way many girls her age did. While classmates moved to softball, she stayed on baseball rosters filled […]

Nov 21, 2025

Reporting Texas TV – Nov, 20th 2025

Nov 21, 2025

Hundreds Attend Austin’s First Ever Panda Fest

Hundreds of folks headed to Austin’s Republic Square over the weekend for the city’s first-ever Panda Fest – a celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Traditions, according to organizers.  Started in 2024 in New York, Panda Fest hit  the road this year, hitting cities including Dallas, Seattle and Charlotte, to name a few.  “I […]

Nov 21, 2025

Texas’s $20 Billion Water Fund Approved by Voters

Earlier this month, Texas voters approved Proposition 4, a bill that dedicates $1 billion annually to the Texas Water Fund for the next 20 years.  The Texas Water Fund is a specialized fund established by the state treasury that supports water infrastructure projects, including desalination, wastewater treatment and the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas. […]

Nov 21, 2025

Students and Alumni Rally Against Trump Compact

A small group of UT Austin students and alumni gathered outside the University of Texas System headquarters Wednesday afternoon for a “Reject the Compact” rally. Organized by Students for a Democratic Society, attendees at the rally urged university leaders to refuse the Trump administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.”  “This compact endangers everything […]

Nov 21, 2025

Longhorn Fans in Athens: Their Experience in Bulldog Territory

Texas Longhorn football fans are known for traveling well to away games. And when the number ten-ranked Longhorns faced off against the number five-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, burnt orange could be seen all over campus on game day. From the tailgates to inside the stadium, hundreds of Longhorn fans packed the Peach State for […]

Nov 21, 2025

City Begins Shoal Creek Trail Upgrade Between 29th and 31st Streets

Austin Transportation and Public Works started construction along North Lamar Boulevard and the Shoal Creek Trail between 29th Street and 31st Street to address accessibility and safety concerns.  The Shoal Creek Trail is Austin’s oldest hike and bike trail, stretching from Lady Bird Lake up to U.S. 183. The section between 29th and 31st Streets […]

Nov 20, 2025

Pet Vaccine Hesitancy Is About Payment Not Politics, Austin Shelters Say

The New York Times, Time Magazine and the American Animal Hospital Association have recently linked anti-vaccine worries that grew during the  COVID pandemic to  vaccination concerns among pet owners. However, Elizabeth Ferrer, marketing and communications manager for the Austin Animal Center, said the main reason pets aren’t vaccinated is lack of access to treatment, mostly driven by vet costs.

Nov 19, 2025

Generations of Govalle Families Unite Behind Their Endangered School

Govalle Elementary School opened its doors to East Austin families in 1931. Now, after 94 years of educating generations of East Austin families and serving as the center of their neighborhood, the school could be closed if its accountability rating does not change by the next academic school year.
The families that have called Govalle home for generations have weathered two threats of closure or major changes in the past decade. This fall, the Austin Independent School District proposed transforming Govalle from a neighborhood school into a Montessori-styled elementary that could draw students from throughout the school district. But community opposition to the plan helped to persuade officials to remove Govalle from a plan to close 10 schools and alter others.

Nov 18, 2025

New Graduate Workers Union Fights for Better Pay and Protests the College Compact

or the past two months, the University of Texas’ newly formed Graduate Workers Union has been advocating for better treatment, pay and rights of graduate student employees. And now it is joining other student groups in opposing a deal with the Trump administration that would transform the university’s governance structure.
“A union is a commitment by workers at a workplace to stand together with each other to be treated the way they deserve to be treated in terms of compensation and working conditions,” said Sociology Ph.D. student and union member Noah DiAntonio.

Nov 17, 2025

Students Demand Protection of Ethnic and Gender Studies as UT Weighs Trump Compact and Consolidation

University of Texas students Monday urged administrators to reject the Trump compact on higher education and to stop a possible consolidation plan of the College of Liberal Arts they say could erase ethnic studies, women’s and gender studies and several language departments. “When I arrived at UT as a freshman, our campus looked completely different,” […]

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 life was finally moving forward.
But that Monday was different. Renderos’ boss called to confirm what she feared most: “You can’t keep working, Yeni, she recalled him saying. “The rules for commercial licenses have changed.”

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 […]