Even as Silicon Valley Booms, Venture Capitalists See Unique Opportunities in Texas

bySheldon Munroe

Technology venture capitalists from around the world who converged in Austin recently say the Texas tech ecosystem is still young and creating distinctive investment opportunities in a rapidly expanding digital economy. “What I found in Texas in the last few days, I felt these venture capitalists are so patient and they are looking for solutions […]

Undocumented Immigrants are the Backbone of Texas Agriculture. An Abbott-Endorsed Agriculture Commissioner Candidate Wants to Change That.

byMax Mazoch

Immigration raids have caused unrest in Texas agriculture, the state’s second largest industry. Now, Gov. Greg Abbott’s preferred candidate for agriculture commissioner, the chief advocate for the state’s 230,000 farms, has made stricter immigration enforcement a key tenet of his campaign. “If I was king for a day, and I got to go in and […]

Stricter Auto Registration Rule Hurts Texas’ Economy And Leaves Cars Uninsured: Critics

byNoemi Castanon

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles board voted unanimously to implement its new identification requirement for vehicle renewal and registration despite criticism that it is hurting car sales and vehicle registrations. The new rules, proposed in November, require anyone registering a vehicle to provide Real ID-compliant driver’s license, a U.S. passport, a military ID or […]

Pyramid or Diagram? Whole Milk or Low-Fat? Dietitians Assess the Impact of New Dietary Guidelines

byAJ Muonagolu

Weeks after the federal government announced new dietary guidelines, Texas schools and food assistance programs are studying how the changes might affect their services.School districts like Austin’s are waiting to see how the new guidelines will shape their programs – especially when it comes to costs and federal reimbursement rates for student meals.

UT Restructures Liberal Arts College, Targets Gender, Ethnic Studies

byNatalia Rodriguez

The University of Texas at Austin on Thursday announced plans to shutter seven departments in the College of Liberal Arts devoted to ethnicity, gender and international studies and to review curriculum related to those subjects.  
UT President Jim Davis said in a campus-wide email that Mexican-American and Latino Studies, African and African Diaspora Studies, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies and American Studies will no longer be separate departments but will be consolidated into one school called Social and Cultural Analysis. Likewise, a new School of European and Eurasian Studies is being created from the current departments of  French and Italian, Germanic Studies and Slavic and Eurasian Studies.
The UT consolidation comes two years after it eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion programs and a month after Texas A&M University ended its women and gender studies program. Faculty there were told that 200 courses could be affected by a new A&M System policy restricting classroom discussion of race and gender. 

Dual Citizens in Texas Critical of Effort to Make Them Choose One Nationality

bySamantha Rubin

Texans with dual citizenship are decrying the potential effects of a  bill introduced by an Ohio senator that would force Americans who hold citizenship in another country to renounce one nationality or risk being treated as if they gave up their U.S. citizenship. 
Legal experts said the proposal is unworkable.  “There really is no good way to police this,” said Elissa Steglich, who teaches the immigration law clinic at the University of Texas law school. “There’s no actual benefit to the nation for people to relinquish citizenship to other countries.” 

Feat or Fortune? How the Texas Grid Withstood This Year’s Winter Storm and Why It Felt Different

byRachel N. Madison

The morning of Sunday, January 24, 2026, looked much like that of January 31, 2023, and February 15, 2021. Snow coated fields. Ice buried streets. People shut their doors. Businesses closed. 
Yet, most Texans noticed one key difference. 
“We had power the entire time,” Northwest Hills resident Holly Eaton said.
This year, the state’s power grid remained intact with no systemwide blackouts, unlike in Winter Storm Uri which left 4.5 million homes without power and resulted in over 200 deaths across the state.

Talarico Urges UT Students to Channel Frustration into Political Action at Campus Rally 

bySamantha Rubin

As Democrats look to energize young voters ahead of a competitive primary, U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico urged University of Texas at Austin students Wednesday to reject political division and to help mobilize voters on campus. 

THC Fee Increase in Texas Could Push Patients to the Black Market and Impact Local Businesses

byErika Gonzalez

Thousands of Texans rely on medical cannabis to relieve chronic pain, anxiety, or PTSD. At the end of September 2025, Texas had more than 135,000 registered patients, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimates that around 4 million residents used cannabis for therapeutic purposes in the past year.
Access for these patients could change drastically. On Jan. 9, the Texas Department of State Health Services proposed raising licensing fees for the THC hemp industry.

How an Austin Museum Worker is Building a Legacy from Loss

byGarrett Bohannan

It was a brisk December morning in East Texas when a curious 9-year-old girl opened a JCPenney catalogue and saw that Cabbage Patch Kids was releasing their first African American doll.  Growing up, Cathy Runnels had only ever played with white dolls — Barbies with blond hair and perfect peach skin that her brothers often […]

Uncovering the Buried History of Hardcore Music in the Coastal Bend

byEvelyn Martinez

In the South Texas beachtown of Corpus Christi, Texas, known as Selena’s birthplace and home of the iconic Johnny Canales Show where she had her big break, Tejano reigns supreme. The Spanish-language genre continues to pump life through the veins of the city, but for those of more hardcore proclivities, Corpus’ heartbeat always carried the […]

Students Blast UT’s Restructuring as ‘Threat Upon Education Itself’

byDestiny Lewis

Students rallied near the Tower on Wednesday to oppose the University of Texas at Austin’s decision to consolidate academic departments and eliminate several teaching and research support centers. 

Nurses Rally Against ICE after Slaying of One of Their Own

byNoemi Castanon

Over 100 people, many of them nurses, moved by the death of one of their own, gathered outside Ascension Seton Medical Center for a candlelight vigil to honor Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis nurse killed by federal immigration officers.

Months After ICE Raid, Valley Flea Market Still Largely Deserted

byNatalia Rodriguez

Hallways full of families. Vendors in stalls scrambling to attend to every customer. Dance floors full of laughter and community. For decades, these scenes would play out at the Mercadome Flea Market in the Rio Grande Valley town of Alamo.
Today, those same hallways are empty. Many stalls in the flea market, or “pulga” in Spanish, are closed, and the dance floor is occupied by only a few clinging to maintain the energy that existed before Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided the market last June.
“There’s no one here because everyone is scared,” one vendor said.

Austin Pets Alive Sees Record Foster Turnout Ahead of Dangerous Winter Storm 

byRachel N. Madison

On Thursday morning, 48 hours before a winter storm was forecast to bring dangerously low temperatures, Austin Pets Alive’s shelter was filled with over 100 dogs waiting for homes. By the end of the day, the shelter had fewer than a dozen as animal lovers heeded the shelter’s call for emergency help.

Protesters Urge Austin to Not Cooperate with ICE

bySheldon Munroe

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Austin City Hall on Tuesday — one year to the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration for his second term — to denounce ICE deportations and demand that the city stop cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.
“It is super important that we come out and use our First Amendment right to protest and petition,” said protest organizer Sophia Mirto. 

Amid National Unrest, MLK Community March Urges Austinites to Use Their Power

byOisakhose Aghomo

After a two–year hiatus due to inclement weather, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community March and Festival returned Monday at the Texas Capitol against a backdrop of national political uncertainty — and threats to MLK Day itself
“Our commander in chief is trying to remove this day,” said 61-year-old Austin resident Jackie Sanders. “We’re going to still fight for this day because he (MLK) has earned it and we are here to support and represent.” 

For Drag Performers, Court Ruling Brings Fears of Enforcement of Restrictive New Law

byErika González

As Senate Bill 12 takes effect, drag performers and organizers in Austin are adjusting their shows, venues and creative choices amid changes to state law and its implementation.

UT Taking Front Row Seat in Innovation in Critical Mineral Resources

bySheldon Munroe

With America facing mounting pressure to reduce its dependence on foreign rare earth minerals, Texas and the University of Texas are seeking a role in rebuilding a domestic supply chain. The University of Texas at Austin has held two educational forums in the past five months, seeking a role in driving innovation and dialogue around […]

Meet the Team Keeping West Campus Clean, Safe and Connected

bySamantha Rubin

Just after sunrise, blue-shirted ambassadors step into the stream of students along Guadalupe Street trading greetings, answering questions and keeping eyes on the stretch long known as The Drag. 
“In a nutshell, what we’re doing here is hospitality-heavy,” Kevin Morris Sr. said during a recent morning walk-along. “That’s why we’re always talking and vibrant. It’s about visibility.”
The West Campus Ambassador Program was created to address the gap between West Campus’ rapid redevelopment and its lagging safety and beautification efforts