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Ted Cruz warns Talarico has “real chance” to flip Texas’ U.S. Senate seat
by Renzo Downey on July 9, 2026
Calling into Gov. Greg Abbott's guest-hosted Hannity radio show, the Republican senator said Talarico is “charming” enough to win over voters “who may not be paying close attention to the issues.”
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A data center proposed at a quiet corner of East Texas leaves a community bracing for a boom
by Jess Huff on July 9, 2026
Kaesha Avishai and other Angelina County residents are worried about what the data center's arrival means for their property and their way of life.
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Planned Texas data centers could emit more greenhouse gases than many countries
by By Evan Simon, Floodlight on July 9, 2026
Texas regulators are allowing AI data centers across the state to start up thousands of new pollution sources with no public notice or environmental reviews.
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What to know about Houston ICE shooting and other migrant deaths in Texas
by By María Méndezand Juliana Lightsey on July 9, 2026
Most migrant deaths in Texas have occurred while they were detained since President Donald Trump began his immigration crackdown. Several were from natural causes.
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Texas’ ACA enrollment shrinks by 4% after tax credit expiration, new federal data shows
by By Gabby Birenbaum, DATA ANALYSIS BY Dan Keemahill on July 9, 2026
As of February, 21% of Texans who enrolled in a plan through the federal marketplace did not pay their first premium.
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Crowd demands justice at vigil for Houston man killed in ICE shooting
by By Ayden Runnels and Stephen Simpson on July 9, 2026
Speakers at the vigil and a statement from Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s family elevated calls for an independent investigation into his death and raised doubts about ICE’s description of events.
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James Talarico raises over $30 million in second quarter, campaign says, more than triple Ken Paxton’s sum
by Kayla Guo on July 9, 2026
The Austin Democrat’s haul is a record for a U.S. Senate candidate in the second quarter of an election year and is nearly three times what Beto O’Rourke raised in the same period in 2018.
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Battle over East Texas water rights heats up after Dallas millionaire files federal lawsuit to lift moratorium
by Jess Huff on July 8, 2026
Investor Kyle Bass’ high-capacity water wells in East Texas have been blocked by a moratorium. He says his rights as a landowner are being violated.
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Ken Paxton tops $9 million in a personal best fundraising quarter, campaign says
by Gabby Birenbaum on July 8, 2026
The GOP Senate candidate raised more between April and June than he had in all prior quarters combined.
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Houston mayor questions city’s authority to probe ICE shooting amid calls for independent investigation
by Alex Nguyen and Uriel J. García on July 8, 2026
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s family, federal lawmakers and community advocates are pushing for local scrutiny, expressing distrust in federal officials.
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Son of man killed by ICE agent calls for investigation, says “My father would have complied.”
by Colleen DeGuzman and Lomi Kriel on July 8, 2026
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s son said his father would not have tried to flee a law enforcement stop. Local leaders say they’ve received little information from federal officials about the shooting.
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Faculty groups sue to block Texas Tech rules limiting instruction on race, gender, sexual orientation
by Jessica Priest on July 8, 2026
The lawsuit asks a federal judge to halt the restrictions as discriminatory, improperly vague and a violation of free speech.
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Texas A&M president’s five-year contract includes $1.25 million in base pay
by Jessica Priest on July 8, 2026
The terms for Susan Ballabina, promoted in May, include possible merit bonuses and deferred compensation, records show.
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Crypto kiosks were used to scam $56 million from Texans last year. Lawmakers are calling for regulation.
by Ayden Runnels on July 8, 2026
Fraudsters are increasingly using the ATM-like machines for fast access to money that’s difficult to trace.
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What to know as cryptocurrency scams rise in Texas
by Ayden Runnels on July 8, 2026
From investment fraud to sophisticated schemes involving hard-to-trace digital currency, Texans lost more than $1 billion to crypto scams in 2025.
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TribCast: What’s the mood among Texas Democrats ahead of November?
by Eleanor Klibanoff on July 7, 2026
Inside the Texas Democrats’ convention in a hopeful year for the party.
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Texas Senate panel lays groundwork for renewed push to ban THC products
by Stephen Simpson on July 7, 2026
THC’s effects on issues ranging from homelessness to mental health were examined at Tuesday’s meeting with the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.
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ICE agent fatally shoots Houston man who agency says tried to run over officer
by Alex Nguyen, Uriel J. García, Colleen DeGuzman, and Stephen Simpson on July 7, 2026
The agency said the man was an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. His son said he’d lived here for 35 years and was attempting to obtain a work permit.
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Ken Paxton vowed to crack down on “illegal voting.” He may have violated Texas election law.
by By Zach Despart, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica on July 7, 2026
The Texas attorney general appears to have used an address where he did not live while voting in six elections in the past two years — despite his warning voters that “it is illegal to misrepresent your residence on election records.”
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Where is screwworm in Texas? Track cases here.
by By Berenice Garcia, Jayme Lozano Carver and Stephen Simpson, graphics by Hien An Ngo and Alex Ford on June 12, 2026
The New World screwworm poses a multibillion-dollar threat to the state’s cattle industry. We’re keeping track of where these cases are reported.






