State News

Central Texas School Social Workers and Counselors Face Pandemic-related Challenges

byBenton Graham and Jillian Price  

Since the pandemic forced schools to limit in-person classes, social workers and counselors have struggled to maintain relationships with students. In addition to the difficulty of staying in touch with students virtually, social workers have had to navigate what experts call a mental health crisis. Social isolation, increased screen time and pandemic-related stress have combined to make the perfect storm for students dealing with mental health challenges.

Racial Politics and Economic Woes Roil an East Texas City

byVicky Camarillo

How the battle over an East Texas city’s economic development corporation laid bare racial fault lines in the age of Trump.

28 Years After a Forgotten Mass Shooting in Texas, a Survivor Looks Back

byJack Keyes

Tommy Vaughn says he’s no hero, but his actions helped save lives.

Texas Legislature Avoids Hot-Button Abortion Bills This Session

byClaire Allbright

Unlike Alabama, which just banned abortion except to save a mother’s life, or Georgia, with its fetal heartbeat bill, Texas anti-abortion forces are pursuing incremental steps this year.

Rodeo Bullfighters Find Fulfillment and Friendship on a Long, Hard Road

byRobert Larkin

In a fast-moving and dangerous sport, the bullfighters develop a bond on and off the dirt.

UT-Austin, Texas State Train Police, Students and Staff to Handle Active Shooters

byShepard Price

Training at UT-Austin and Texas State takes two tracks: one focusing on quick police response and a second on simple steps everyone else can take to defend themselves.

Estimating Texas Mountain Lion Population Is Like Herding Cats — Literally

byKayla Meyertons

The lions are so stealthy and range so widely, mostly on private land, that scientists have difficulty developing a good estimate of their numbers in Texas.

Kinder Morgan, the Blind Eyes of Texas Salamanders Are Upon You

byKayla Meyertons

The presence of endangered salamanders in aquifers under the route means an added layer of environmental scrutiny for Kinder Morgan’s proposed natural gas pipeline.

U.S. House Democrats Target Six Texas Districts for 2020, Face Uphill Battle

byKatherine Corley

National Democrats are targeting six congressional districts in Texas in 2020. Despite Democratic gains in the 2018 midterms, some political scientists say the party faces an uphill battle in the Lone Star State.

Central Texas Girls Blaze New Trails in Scouting

bySunny Kim

In February, the Boy Scouts started allowing all-girl troops in the 109-year-old organization.

A Bumper Crop for Texas Cotton Could Spell Trouble for Farmers

byStephen Cabler

In the boom-bust world of cotton, a couple of big harvests means lower prices and potentially tough times for Texas growers.

Chronic Pain Patients Say Restrictions on Prescription Opioids Too Stringent

bySahar Chmais

Some Texans say federal opioid-prescribing guidelines are limiting chronic pain patients’ access to much needed medicine.