Reporting Texas
News and features from UT-Austin's School of Journalism
Reporting Texas Archives
Dec 06, 2024

Texas Lawmakers Refile Bill to Legalize Fentanyl Test Strips

Texas lawmakers are reintroducing a bill to decriminalize fentanyl test strips after similar efforts stalled last legislative session. These strips, which can detect the deadly opioid in drugs, are seen as a simple and effective tool to prevent overdose deaths. Despite broad support, the bill failed to make it past the Texas Senate last year. […]

Dec 05, 2024

Longhorn Lights bring Holiday Spirit to Campus

Bright orange and white lights flash in sync to songs like “Jingle Bells” and “Wabash Cannonball” The University of Texas campus will stay bright for the holidays.  The annual “Longhorn Lights” display kicked off on Nov. 9 with an elaborate show that included the Longhorn Band, UT Mariachi, President Jay Hartzell, and star quarterback Quinn […]

Nov 22, 2024

Reporting Texas TV – Nov 21, 2024

Journalism students at the University of Texas at Austin produced their third newscast of the Fall 2024 semester on Nov 21.

Nov 22, 2024

Student Recovers from Injury at UT vs. UGA Football Game

A University of Texas student is recovering after a severe injury sustained during the UT vs. University of Georgia football game on Oct. 19. Knox Vacek’s last memory from that day is of students throwing bottles onto the field in protest of a controversial referee call. After the call was reversed, Vacek jumped on the […]

Nov 22, 2024

The George Morales Dove Springs Gym has Been Renamed

As the new name, D’Wayne Anderson Gymnasium was revealed on a sleek sign above the entrance, applause and cheers filled the air, mingling with a few tears. “This is not just deserved, it’s well earned,” said Tiffany Cabin, a long-time friend and coworker of Anderson. “He put his heart and soul into ensuring that this […]

Nov 22, 2024

Austin Welcomes the Holiday Spirit with A Christmas Affair

The holiday season is here, and one of Austin’s favorite traditions, A Christmas Affair, has returned to the Palmer Events Center. Hosted by the Junior League of Austin, this five-day holiday market is a mix of festive shopping and giving back to the community. With over 200 vendors, shoppers can find everything from handcrafted gifts […]

Nov 21, 2024

Texas Cowboys Host Harvest Moon Concert to Benefit UT Elementary

The Texas Cowboys threw its annual Harvest Moon benefit concert in Republic Square Park on Nov. 14, 2024. A night of performances by Randy Rogers Band and June Shine Band helped to raise money through ticket sales benefiting The University of Texas (UT) Elementary, a Title I school in Austin. The event marked their first […]

Nov 21, 2024

Year of AI Helps Bring New Learning Tools To Campus

The Year of AI at The University of Texas at Austin has prompted new innovations in Artificial Intelligence. UT Sage, an AI tutor, was designed by Kasey Ford. Her role is fully funded by the University making it possible for learning tools like this to be created. Dr. Julie Schell, Assistant Vice Provost of Academic […]

Nov 21, 2024

Pro-Palestine Activists Urge UT Regents to Divest from Weapons Manufacturers 

A group of pro-Palestinian activists demonstrated at a  University of Texas System Board of Regents meeting Wednesday demanding the divestment of university funds from weapons manufacturers supplying arms to Israel. 
With Palestinian flags rippling in the wind, around 50 protesters marched on the sidewalk outside the UT System Building in downtown Austin, chanting to the beat of a drum. Inside, the regents convened in a quiet boardroom. 

Nov 20, 2024

Council Considers Reduced I-35 Caps Proposal Amid Concerns of Long-Term Impact

In Tuesday’s Austin City Council work session, city staff from the Transportation and Public Works Department presented a recommendation to reduce the scope of I-35 caps and stitches, sparking concerns and hesitation among council members and community members about the long-term impact on the city’s future. While the Our Future 35 Vision Plan originally included […]

Nov 20, 2024

UT Students Voted Heavily for Harris. They Told Us Why.

Although she lost the presidential election to Donald Trump, Kamala Harris won majority support from voters living in and around the University of Texas at Austin. In the five precincts surrounding UT, Harris’ support ranged from 55% to 68%, and she earned more votes than Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. Trump […]

Nov 20, 2024

Pro-Palestinian Students Protest Israeli Politician’s Speech at UT

Pro-Palestinian protesters condemned the University of Texas for allowing  a former Israeli prime minister to speak on campus as part of Hillel International’s Teach-In tour Tuesday night at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. 

Nov 16, 2024

With UT Recruit Leading the Way, Westlake Volleyball Reaches New Heights

Westlake High School senior Lily Davis could see how close the Chaparrals were to finally getting over the hump. They had won two of the first three sets over Cibolo Steele on Tuesday night at Lehman High School  and were on the verge of advancing to the Texas UIL Class 6A Region IV volleyball final.
Before the fourth set, the University of Texas volleyball recruit gathered her teammates in a huddle to remind everyone of the work they had put in over the last three years.
For Davis, the all-time Westlake kills leader and gold medal winner in the FIVB U19 Beach Volleyball World Championships,  the victory showed just how far she and her teammates had come in their high school careers.

Nov 15, 2024

Reporting Texas TV – Nov 14, 2024

Journalism students at the University of Texas at Austin produced their third newscast of the Fall 2024 semester on Nov 7.

Nov 15, 2024

Safe Alliance Rallies Austin Community to End Abuse

At a packed luncheon filled with advocates, survivors and supporters, the Safe Alliance rallied the community of Austin in the fight to end all forms of abuse. Heartfelt stories and inspiring speeches filled the room as guests united over a shared meal to support the mission of ending violence and empowering those affected..  “Safe works […]

Nov 14, 2024

UT Austin Initiative Transforms Parking Tickets Into Home-Cooked Meals

The Food for Fines program, enacted in 2018, at The University of Texas at Austin, has been a biannual tradition where students with eligible parking tickets can dismiss them through donating nonperishable food items that go on UT Outpost’s shelves.  The UT Outpost is a free on-campus food pantry that serves enrolled students experiencing food […]

Nov 14, 2024

Students Face New Challenges Finding Transportation Home for the Holidays

Complaints against intercity bus services have mounted during the fall semester as the number of bus lines have dwindled. The bus troubles represented a new challenge for students at University of Texas at Austin as they made plans for the upcoming Thanksgiving break. Popular bus line Megabus ceased its operations across Texas in August amid […]

Nov 14, 2024

Texas Goalkeeper’s Work for Others Nets SEC Community Service Honor

Like the rest of the University of Texas student-athletes, Megan Hogate received a bunch of Nike athletic gear when she stepped on campus in fall 2021. After watching the shoe boxes pile up in her closet, she decided to do something with them. She would recycle them into Valentine’s Day boxes with heart-filled messages for children at the Dell Children’s Medical Center.
Hogate’s Valentine initiative was just one of many volunteer and community outreach efforts she’s undertaken, earning her recent recognition by the Southeastern Conference to its annual women’s soccer Community Service Team — the first time Texas, a new SEC member, has placed an athlete on the team. She is one of 16 student-athletes chosen for the honor highlighting “an athlete from each school who gives back to their community in superior service efforts.”

Nov 11, 2024

Gen Z Voters at UT Election Party Say They’re Concerned About Economy, Immigration, Gaza

    As the election results came in Tuesday night, University of Texas students swapped stories at a West Campus bar of finding polling locations, of voting for the first time and of the decisions that drove their choice for president. “Voting for president is a big decision,” Mauro, a UT economics senior said during […]

Nov 08, 2024

Reporting Texas TV – Nov 7, 2024

Journalism students at the University of Texas at Austin produced their third newscast of the Fall 2024 semester on Nov 7.