Reporting Texas
News and features from UT-Austin's School of Journalism
bySheldon Munroe
The stars truly aligned as more than 300 stargazers from across the country looked upward at McDonald Observatory to conclude the 2026 Dark Skies Festival under the open skies of West Texas.
Overcast skies had observatory staff prepare for virtual demonstrations, but then the sky emerged, evoking excited whispers and “awws” as more than 3,000 stars became visible to the naked eye. Several globular clusters, the Milky Way and very bright Jupiter drew particular excitement.
“We are here to appreciate the stars as well as the wildlife and human health,” observatory staffer Ryan Cantrell said.
byIsabel Neumann
When one Austin parent began researching private schools after Texas introduced its new voucher program, the parent expected more options for their child with disabilities. But many schools, including some that specialize in autism, would not accept students with emotional or behavioral needs. “I spent hours searching private and microschools in the Austin area,” the […]
byOISAKHOSE AGHOMO
Near a nondescript building in North Austin, if you listen hard, you can hear Mimi and Rodolfo falling in love.
As the Austin Opera prepares for its upcoming opening of “La Boheme,” it’s on the upswing into a new era – despite the recent turbulence surrounding the classical arts at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. And while the actor Timothee Chalamet recently said “no one cares about” opera and ballet, Austin Opera is building its future.
bySamantha Rubin and Erika Gonzalez
By the time patients arrive at the Women’s Reproductive Clinic of New Mexico, many have already spent hours on the road from Texas, sometimes traveling overnight after arranging child care and scraping together money for the trip to access care that is no longer available in their state.
Now, for the first time since Texas banned abortions, the Texas Medical Board has issued formal training intended to clarify when physicians can legally provide abortion care under the medical emergency exception. The guidance follows legislative changes in 2025 that required the board to create educational materials for physicians about the law.
