Texas Tribune Brief
808 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 months ago - ★★★★★ - 103 ratingsGet the latest news on Texas politics and policy from The Texas Tribune now on Amazon Alexa. With reporters based in Austin, Washington, D.C., and on the U.S.–Mexico border, we are your go-to source for news on statewide issues.
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Episodes
National Guard soldier who drowned trying to help migrants wasn’t equipped with flotation device
April 28, 2022 10:00 - 3 minutes - 4.91 MBSpc. Bishop Evans died after jumping into the Rio Grande to save migrants. He and other members of Operation Lone Star were not provided safety equipment. Texas Military Department said an order for buoys and ropes was made but has not been fulfilled.
Two Texas constitutional amendments could lower some property taxes. Here’s how the measures work.
April 27, 2022 10:00 - 3 minutes - 5.01 MBThe propositions on the May 7 ballot would lower property taxes by shifting more of the cost of public school funding to the state. But the measures’ language can be hard to understand.
Melissa Lucio’s execution halted by Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
April 26, 2022 11:00 - 2 minutes - 3.29 MBAcknowledging substantive questions about Lucio’s guilt and the fairness of her conviction, the appeals court blocked her Wednesday execution so the case can be further investigated.
National Guard soldier missing after trying to save two migrants in Rio Grande
April 25, 2022 11:00 - 2 minutes - 3.48 MBRescue efforts have included search parties in boats and helicopters, as well as dive teams. The Guard member has not been found.
What did Greg Abbott’s border inspections turn up? Oil leaks, flat tires and zero drugs
April 22, 2022 10:00 - 5 minutes - 7.68 MBThe governor ordered troopers to thoroughly inspect every commercial truck coming from Mexico in what he described as an effort to stop illegal drugs and migrants from being smuggled into Texas. His order for increased state inspections led to trade delays between the two countries.
“The most hated conservative college student in the state”: How a UNT student embroiled her campus in a culture war
April 15, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.26 MBSenior Kelly Neidert has repeatedly thrust the University of North Texas into the conservative media spotlight, most recently by bringing Texas House candidate Jeff Younger to campus. Her motive? It depends on who you ask.
First bus of migrants arrives in Washington, D.C., from Texas under Abbott’s new controversial plan
April 14, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.05 MBAbout 30 people from Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua traveled to the U.S. capital as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s new plan in response to the end of Title 42.
Predicting food shortages, Sid Miller calls on Gov. Greg Abbott to stop new vehicle inspections at the border
April 13, 2022 10:00 - 5 minutes - 5.02 MBAbbott’s new policy has resulted in hourslong delays and protest blockades at border crossings. The state’s agriculture commissioner criticized the measure as an “economy killing action.”
International trade halted at Texas border crossing as truckers protest Greg Abbott’s new inspections
April 12, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.68 MBImporters said buyers have already canceled orders and the blockade could impact the flow of produce to restaurants and grocery stores around the country.
After pursuing an indictment, Starr County DA drops murder charge over self-induced abortion
April 11, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.94 MBTexas law exempts a pregnant person from being charged with murder or any lesser homicide charge for an abortion.
Some landlords got a piece of Texas’ $2 billion in rent relief money — and evicted their struggling tenants anyway
April 08, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.39 MBIt’s unclear whether landlords face any penalties by state agencies for improperly evicting tenants while receiving rent relief dollars intended to help those tenants stay housed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to bus migrants to Washington, D.C., will be voluntary
April 07, 2022 10:00 - 5 minutes - 5.42 MBAbbott said he’s responding to the Biden administration announcement that it will lift a pandemic-era emergency health order that allowed immigration authorities to turn away migrants at the border, even those seeking asylum.
The Texas Guard’s border mission needs an additional $531 million to continue past this month, top general says
April 06, 2022 10:00 - 3 minutes - 2.97 MBTexas Military Department leaders say they’ve addressed many of the issues that arose late last year when the mission ramped up to 10,000 service members — but more money is needed to run the mission at its current pace.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants Texas version of Florida law that critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” bill
April 05, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.43 MBThe Florida law prohibits teachers from teaching sexual orientation or gender identity to kids below the fourth grade.
Operation Lone Star is meant to stop cartels and smugglers. Instead, it mostly arrests migrants for misdemeanor trespassing.
April 04, 2022 10:00 - 3 minutes - 3.36 MBThe largest share of Operation Lone Star arrests were of people accused only of trespassing on private property. Many spend months in prison, but the strategy does not appear to have slowed immigration.
Teachers in Texas say they’re pushed to the brink by law requiring them to spend dozens of hours unpaid in training
April 01, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.98 MBK-3 teachers in Texas have until 2023 to complete a 60-hour “Reading Academies” course to keep the job. It’s taking some 120 hours on their own time to finish.
Power grid and Texas energy sectors facing elevated Russian cyber threats during war in Ukraine
March 31, 2022 10:00 - 5 minutes - 4.98 MBUtility companies and key oil and gas transportation hubs are on high alert as Russian hackers have been probing energy infrastructure’s digital networks for weak points.
Texas schools won’t lose funding for attendance drops during the pandemic
March 30, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.09 MBIn Texas, schools are funded based on the number of students enrolled and the daily attendance on campus.
Schools in Texas won’t lose funding for attendance drops during the pandemic
March 30, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.09 MBIn Texas, schools are funded based on the number of students enrolled and the daily attendance on campus.
Amid Russian aggression, Fort Worth leaders say the F-35 fighter jet’s value is now on display in Europe
March 29, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.94 MBBudget hawks deride the fighter jet, built largely in Fort Worth, as a costly boondoggle. But with war in Ukraine, the F-35’s presence is being felt across Europe.
Feds restore billions in halted payments to Texas hospitals, but the fight over uninsured care continues
March 28, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.89 MBThe money reimburses hospitals for the services they provide to Medicaid patients in Texas.
Wildfire risk remains high for much of Texas in the days ahead, fire officials say
March 25, 2022 10:00 - 5 minutes - 5.01 MBClimate change has made the Texas heat hotter and longer-lasting, enhancing drought conditions that set the stage for intense fires. More than 40% of the state is in an extreme drought.
Abortion funds bring new legal challenges to overturn Texas ban
March 24, 2022 10:00 - 5 minutes - 4.82 MBThe Texas law has proven largely impervious to judicial review. But lawyers representing abortion advocacy groups believe opponents may have given them an opening to challenge the law in a more friendly federal court.
After deadly tornadoes tear through Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott declares disaster for 16 counties
March 24, 2022 01:18 - 4 minutes - 3.81 MBAt least 20 tornadoes were reported across the state and Oklahoma, which tore through homes and buildings on Monday. At least two dozen people were injured and a woman died, authorities said.
Gov. Greg Abbott brags about his border initiative. The data doesn’t back him up.
March 21, 2022 10:00 - 3 minutes - 3.42 MBThe statistics that Texas leaders use to boast about Operation Lone Star raise more questions than answers.
Russia extends detention for WNBA star Brittney Griner as Texans in Congress call for her release
March 18, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.36 MBGriner will be under arrest until at least May 19, according to Russian state media.
Beto O’Rourke blasts Greg Abbott for latest foster care abuse allegations
March 17, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.97 MBO’Rourke said the governor ignored longstanding problems that allegedly allowed foster kids, who had been victims of sex trafficking, to be abused by employees at a state-contracted facility charged with caring for children.
Texas National Guard troops were dispatched to wealthy ranches with private security as part of border mission
March 16, 2022 10:00 - 5 minutes - 4.6 MBThe dispatching of troops to wealthy private ranches, far from the border, raises questions about the use of National Guard troops, who have widely decried the mission as aimless, political and oversized, as the cost of the effort has already ballooned to $2 billion a year.
More than one-third of Texas child care providers closed during the pandemic. They’ve mostly reopened.
March 15, 2022 10:00 - 3 minutes - 3.58 MBAlthough child care providers have mostly reopened, 8% have closed permanently since the start of the pandemic — and 57% of Texas counties still qualify as child care deserts.
Apple, Google among dozens of corporations condemning Texas’ order to investigate families of trans kids
March 14, 2022 10:00 - 2 minutes - 2.38 MBThe letter was also signed by Salesforce, Johnson & Johnson, Dow and Capital One. The companies said they do business, create jobs and serve customers in Texas and are committed to creating safe communities for LGBTQ people.
Foster girls who’d been victims of sex trafficking endured fresh abuse at a state shelter, report says
March 11, 2022 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.17 MBThe children were sexually abused and neglected while at The Refuge, a facility located in Bastrop contracted by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, according to a report from a current employee.
Court upholds order stopping child abuse investigation into Texas trans teen’s family
March 10, 2022 11:00 - 3 minutes - 3.43 MBThe appeals court’s decision allows a lower court to hold a hearing on whether Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive to investigate certain gender-affirming care as child abuse can stand.
Harris County election chief resigns as political parties demand answers over fumbled vote count
March 09, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 4.85 MBRepublicans are suing and Democrats want a full review after Harris County missed deadlines to have its votes tallied and failed to count 10,000 ballots in its initial returns.
Gov. Greg Abbott wants task force to examine state teacher shortage
March 08, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.32 MBTeaching demands during the pandemic have exacerbated the nation’s teacher shortage. Abbott wants a task force to investigate.
Students in Texas push back against book bans
March 07, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 4.59 MBStudents are forming banned-book clubs and distribution drives to contest restrictions that focus mostly on LGBTQ and racial themes.
Bonus: Introducing City Cast Houston
March 05, 2022 11:00 - 17 minutes - 24.1 MBWe have something special for you today. It's an episode of City Cast Houston, a new podcast about Texas' largest city.
As Texas targets trans kids, their families scramble to find lawyers
March 04, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.31 MBEver since Gov. Greg Abbott directed the state’s child welfare agency to investigate parents who provide gender-affirming care to their children, LGBTQ+ affirming family lawyers statewide have been deluged with calls.
U.S. Rep. Van Taylor ends reelection campaign after he admits to affair
March 03, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.04 MBTaylor made the announcement hours after he finished his five-way primary with 49% of the vote. Former Collin County Judge Keith Self, who finished second, is now likely to become the next congressman for the 3rd District.
Greg Abbott, Beto O’Rourke easily win gubernatorial primaries, setting up November race
March 02, 2022 05:55 - 3 minutes - 3.23 MBDecision Desk HQ called both Abbott’s and O’Rourke’s primary wins and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could be headed for a runoff
What to watch for during the Texas primary election
March 01, 2022 11:00 - 6 minutes - 5.77 MBTexas voters are heading to the polls Tuesday with a lot of decisions to make about who will represent their parties going forward into November.
Transgender Texas kids are terrified after governor orders that parents be investigated for child abuse
February 28, 2022 11:00 - 3 minutes - 2.79 MBSome experts doubt that classifying gender-affirming care as child abuse would hold up in court, but families still feel targeted by Gov. Greg Abbott’s new order
Voter turnout in Texas primaries is dramatically low.
February 25, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.24 MBTexas has a history of a dismal turnout rate in primary elections. New political maps and voting law could create more obstacles.
National Guard members sound off on Texas border mission in leaked morale survey
February 24, 2022 11:00 - 6 minutes - 5.62 MBFrustration, anxiety and anger prevailed in the survey responses obtained by the The Texas Tribune and Military Times. The survey includes responses from nearly 250 members of Task Force South, one of six units that fall under the umbrella of Operation Lone Star.
Attacks fly in final days of Attorney General Ken Paxton’s primary fight
February 23, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 3.83 MBPaxton is targeting one of his challengers, Louie Gohmert, while another challenger, George P. Bush, is going after challenger Eva Guzman.
Whistleblowers say Ken Paxton is misleading Texans about his bribery and abuse of office allegations
February 22, 2022 11:00 - 4 minutes - 4.03 MBThe whistleblowers made their first statement about Paxton’s decision to fire them since filing a lawsuit against the attorney general.
Listen to the stories of Texans who lived through 2021’s historic winter storm
February 19, 2022 11:00 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBFor the anniversary of the winter storm that staggered Texas, The Texas Tribune called dozens of Texans from around the state. They shared their experiences during the storm and how it continues to impact them. The storm brought days of subfreezing temperatures and widespread power outages, causing billions of dollars in damages and hundreds of deaths. Many Texans still question the reliability of the power grid and wonder if state authorities have prepared for another storm like the one tha...
Partisan tactic by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s campaign delays thousands of requests for mail-in ballots from Texas voters
February 18, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 5.14 MBPatrick’s mass mailing urging voters to apply for mail-in ballots included return envelopes addressed to the Texas secretary of state’s office. The applications are supposed to be sent to local offices, but Patrick’s campaign says voters don’t trust election officials in Democratic counties.
UT faculty members demand answers after Dan Patrick says Liberty Institute intended to fight critical race theory
February 18, 2022 05:14 - 5 minutes - 4.95 MBThe lieutenant governor vowed to ban the teaching of critical race theory at Texas’ public colleges and universities.
Texans with disabilities fear new restrictions on voting help could mean criminal charges at the polls
February 16, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 4.91 MBDisability rights advocates say the state has not provided enough guidance about the type of help people with disabilities can and can’t receive under new voting laws passed last year.
A year after the electric grid failed, Texas focuses on reliability, not climate change
February 15, 2022 11:00 - 5 minutes - 5.16 MBTransitioning the electricity grid to cleaner fuels is one of the best tools humanity has to fight climate change — which brings severe weather that taxes the grid. But a year after the winter storm, Texas leaders aren’t talking about decarbonizing.