News Archives

President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Texas Governor John Connally and his wife Nellie Connally ride in a limousine in Dallas on November 22, 1963 shortly before Kennedy's assassination.

November 21, 2023

Sixty Years After JFK’s Assassination, Two Authors Claim “Incontrovertible Proof” of a “Conspiracy”

In their new book ‘Chokeholds,’ researchers argue Lee Harvey Oswald was just one piece of a sprawling conspiracy—one that other investigators claim never existed at all.

By

Politics & Policy|

November 17, 2023

J. W. Lown Governed San Angelo With a Smile—and Constituents Like Me Won’t Forget It

He lived out his last years in Mexico as a real estate agent, dreaming of returning home to Texas with his husband.

By

Why Rich Guys Love Dressing Like Cartoon Cowboys

Style & Design|

November 17, 2023

Why Rich Guys Love Dressing Like Cartoon Cowboys

Money can buy anything, but it can’t make you look like any less of a dork.

By

Sports|

October 25, 2023

A Jury Found Baylor Liable for Failing to Prevent Violence Against a Student

The woman who reported being physically abused in 2014 was awarded $270,000 in damages.

By

Firenze Guelfi head coach Art Briles watches the action on the field during a football game on July 1, 2023 in Toledo, Ohio.

Sports|

October 20, 2023

The Most Puzzling Moments From Art Briles’s Testimony in the Baylor Title IX Lawsuit

The former head football coach was called to testify on Thursday—and made some surprising assertions.

By

Health|

October 19, 2023

The Last Independent Reproductive Health Clinics in Texas Struggle to Survive

Over the past five years, eighteen independent clinics in Texas shuttered or stopped abortion services. Today only two are still standing.

By Mary Tuma

The USS Texas in dry dock earlier this year at the Gulf Copper shipyard, in Galveston. In the foreground are remnants of the ship’s torpedo blisters, first installed in 1925. At the bottom of the photo are the valves that were used to flood these tanks. Each side of the hull was at one time covered with 21 blisters, though they were all scrapped. New blisters are being built at the shipyard.

Texas History|

October 11, 2023

The U.S.S. Texas, Once the World’s Most Formidable Battleship, Gets a Dramatic Makeover

The famously powerful dreadnought was hailed by Hemingway and played a key role in several famous battles.

By

Republican presidential candidate Will Hurd speaks at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's banquet, Sept. 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Politics & Policy|

October 11, 2023

Will Hurd Was Both Too Late and Too Early to Run as an Anti-Trump Moderate

Once a rising star in the Republican Party, the former congressman’s pitch as a “common-sense” Republican didn’t resonate with today’s GOP.

By

News & Politics|

October 4, 2023

Are You There, God? It’s Me, ChatGPT.

A pastor in Austin asked the artificial intelligence chatbot to write an entire Sunday service. It bombed.

By

Texas Monthly's Guide to ERCOT Conservation Fatigue

News & Politics|

August 31, 2023

A Guide to ERCOT Conservation Fatigue

Are you worn out from the constant warnings to save power to keep our “fixed” power grid from overloading? You may have ERCOT Conservation Fatigue.

By

Meteorologists predict a mild and wet winter as El Niño floats over Texas.

News & Politics|

August 28, 2023

Here’s What to Expect From an El Niño Winter

Meteorologists predict a cool, wet winter as the Pacific jet stream floats over Texas.

By

News & Politics|

August 14, 2023

We’re Number One!

. . . When it comes to producing renewable energy, winning golf tournaments, banning books, and closing rural hospitals. Why is Texas so darn great . . . and so darn awful?

By Will Bostwick, , , and

News & Politics|

August 14, 2023

Sometimes Texas Isn’t Number One

Wounding as it may be to our deeply ingrained sense of Texas exceptionalism, there are a number of seemingly Texas-y categories in which we don’t take the top spot. Here are a few.

By

lew adams at roy creek canyon mirasol springs

News & Politics|

August 7, 2023

Inside the Fight for a Hidden Hill Country Treasure

A Dallas billionaire says his new luxury resort in a near-pristine parcel west of Austin is a model of sustainability. The caretaker of the nature reserve next door isn’t buying it.

By

Oblivious people frolicking on a Texas beach

News & Politics|

July 25, 2023

A New Report About Human Waste and Texas Beaches Is More Than Just Gross

Human waste on Texas coastlines is a beach.

By Ana Davila Chalita

Nurses protest in front of Austin's Ascension Seton Medical Center during a one-day strike for better working conditions on June 27th, 2023.

News & Politics|

June 28, 2023

“The Worst It’s Been”: RNs in the Largest Nurse Strike in Texas History Describe Their Workplace

Austin nurses walked out of Ascension Seton Medical Center to protest staffing and retention issues, saying their patients are not safe.

By

Texas has Entered a New Era of Extreme Heat

Health|

June 27, 2023

Texas Has Entered a New Era of Extreme Heat

Texans have never been afraid of summer temperatures. This year’s record-breaking heat wave should make us think twice.

By

Parks & Recs|

June 26, 2023

Hikers Are Dying on Texas Trails in Severe Heat

Recent tragedies in Big Bend and Palo Duro Canyon are a reminder to “respect the desert,” says one ranger.

By

True Crime|

June 20, 2023

Everyone in Stephenville Thought They Knew Who Killed Susan Woods

That left the real culprit free to prey on others, including one victim who was ignored for two decades.

By Bryan Burrough

A Fort Worth Couple Challenged the Indian Child Welfare Act. They Lost.

Politics & Policy|

June 16, 2023

A Fort Worth Couple Challenged the Indian Child Welfare Act. They Lost.

The Brackeens sued after their initial petition to adopt a Navajo and Cherokee boy was denied. A 7–2 Supreme Court ruling represents a major win for tribal sovereignty.

By Roxanna Asgarian

A German Flag Went Missing in WWII. It Was Recently Found in Houston—Then Went Missing Again.

Politics & Policy|

June 16, 2023

A German Flag Went Missing in WWII. It Was Recently Found in Houston—Then Went Missing Again.

The treasured banner was discovered in a Texas gun store, sparking questions about the repatriation of artifacts.

By Andrew Logan

Parts of Texas Could Hit 100 Degrees Next Week. How Does That Compare to Other Years?

Travel & Outdoors|

June 9, 2023

Texas Could See 100-Degree Days Next Week. How Does That Compare to Years Past?

In other words, it’s hot.

By

News & Politics|

June 2, 2023

Paxton’s Impeachment Is Not a Referendum on Trump

Texas Republicans have been in the midst of a cold war with one another for much of the 2023 session. The impeachment vote simply caused it to heat up.

By

Austin FC fan groups display banners calling for responsible gun laws and naming each of the victims at a June 2022 game.

Sports|

June 1, 2023

The Haunting Cross-country Journey of Austin FC Fans’ Uvalde Memorial Banners

Supporters have unfurled the anti–gun violence flags at soccer matches after mass shootings in Texas, Nashville, and Louisville.

By Richard Z. Santos

Controversial Highway Expansion of I-10 in El Paso

News & Politics|

May 25, 2023

TxDOT Wants to Widen I-10 in El Paso. Many Residents Say “No Thanks.”

The proposed construction project is intended to alleviate future traffic problems, but at what cost?

By Benton Graham

Move Over Austin: Fort Worth is Texas' New Boomtown

News & Politics|

May 23, 2023

Move Over, Austin: Fort Worth Is the New Texas Boomtown

The 2022 census update, released late last week, indicates growth in Austin and Fort Worth—as well as the Texas suburbs—isn’t slowing down.

By

Rick Perry is Thinking of Running for President for a Third Time!

Politics & Policy|

May 16, 2023

Rick Perry Is Thinking of Running for President for a Third Time!

The longest-tenured governor of Texas, who is famously great with groups of three, aims for a failed campaign hat trick.

By

What Legalized Sports Betting Would Mean for Texans

Politics & Policy|

May 12, 2023

The Texas House Voted to Advance Sports Gambling. It’s Still Unlikely to Become Law.

Legal sports gambling in the state still faces a long and complicated path that would require a constitutional amendment.

By

Politics & Policy|

May 11, 2023

Since the Lege Has Been in Session, There’ve Been Eighteen Mass Shootings in Texas

The gun bills most likely to pass aren’t restrictions but those that further protect firearm ownership.

By

News & Politics|

May 8, 2023

A Driver Crashed Into Pedestrians Outside a Brownsville Migrant Shelter. Eight People Were Killed.

Police have detained the driver but are still investigating whether the crash was intentional or accidental.

By Sneha Dey and Jayme Lozano Carter, The Texas Tribune

Uvalde|

May 7, 2023

One year ago, before the school shooting in Uvalde, Kimberly Mata-Rubio had never been on a plane or given a public speech or scolded a U.S. senator right there in his office. A year in the life of a grieving mother.

By

Austin-Serial-Killer-Rumor-Rainey-Street_feat

News & Politics|

May 1, 2023

Reality Check: There’s Almost Certainly No Serial Killer in Austin

What began as a baseless theory has turned into a social media frenzy, with the power to frighten the public and hamper police investigations.

By

Authorities from multiple agencies work to find suspect who allegedly shot and killed five people, April 29, 2023, in unincorporated San Jacinto County, Texas.

News & Politics|

May 1, 2023

The Search Continues for the Texas Gunman Who Killed 5 Neighbors in San Jacinto County

In the face of mass shootings in Texas, state leaders have made it easier to access guns.

By Sneha Dey, The Texas Tribune

James Reyos (center) with supporters. L to R, back to front: Greg Barber, Sarah Dickie, Addy May, Linzy Hill, Allison Clayton, James Reyos, and Mike Ware.

News & Politics|

March 28, 2023

Forty Years Later, Wrongfully Convicted James Reyos Has Another Day in Court

Those in the office that prosecuted him agree the soft-spoken Native American did not murder a priest back in 1981. His case is back before a district court judge.

By

News & Politics|

March 17, 2023

Matamoros Was Once Relatively Safe for Texans. That Seems to Be Changing.

The recent kidnapping of four U.S. citizens in the Mexican border city appears to mark the end of a period of relative peace.

By Jack Herrera

Wendy Davis wearing a pink suit with a microphone attached

News & Politics|

February 28, 2023

Wendy Davis Returns to the Texas Capitol and a Whole New Political Landscape

Ten years after her historic filibuster, the former Democratic state senator will lead Planned Parenthood's political efforts

By Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune

TikTok Is Banking On “Project Texas” to Avoid A U.S. Ban. But What Is It?

News & Politics|

February 27, 2023

How Is TikTok Planning To Avoid a U.S. Ban? Enter “Project Texas.”

The U.S. government has an eye on TikTok. With its $1.5 billion plan aimed at battling mistrust, TikTok has an eye on . . . Texas?

By Amanda O'Donnell and

News & Politics|

February 20, 2023

Red McCombs Turned Old San Antonio on Its Head

The larger-than-life, redheaded émigré from Spur, Texas—who died at 95—seemed intent on making the town his own. And he did.

By

Politics & Policy|

February 10, 2023

Attorney General Ken Paxton Agrees to Apologize and Pay $3.3 Million to Whistleblowers

Paxton and the four whistleblowers asked the Texas Supreme Court to defer consideration of the case until they can finalize the settlement, after which they’ll move to end the case.

By James Barragán, The Texas Tribune

News & Politics|

February 9, 2023

Running Into Fire: The Legacy of Jeff Blackburn

The cofounder of the Innocence Project of Texas set a model for working with state agencies to investigate potential wrongful convictions.

By Lynn Garcia and Chris Connealy

News & Politics|

February 9, 2023

Inside the Bro-tastic Party Mansions Upending a Historic Austin Community

They have swimming pools, dozens of beds, and at least one stripper pole in a backyard school bus (you read that right). Locals say they’re are turning a vulnerable community into a “theme park” for hard-partying tourists.

By

John Briones, left, and Brian Guerrero, center, get patients signed up for free recovery treatment, during a home visit on January 23, 2023.

Health|

February 7, 2023

To Stem a Rising Tide of Fentanyl Overdoses, These Texas Paramedics Are Going Door-to-door

Many with opioid-use disorders OD again and again. First responders are reaching out to offer a path to recovery.

By Jeff Winkler

Politics & Policy|

February 6, 2023

A Celebrated West Texas Archaeologist Has Been Fired—and No One Will Say Why

Acclaimed for his research on the Big Bend region and the Porvenir massacre, David Keller was suddenly marched out of Sul Ross State University in December.

By Rob D’Amico

Texas History|

February 6, 2023

The Alamo’s New Battle Plan

A $500 million restoration seeks to reverse almost two centuries of cultural and physical neglect at the most popular historic site in Texas. There’s never been more of a concerted effort to make things right.

By Stephen Harrigan