Texas Republicans are redefining higher ed. It's creating confusion about free speech on campuses.

From The Texas Tribune: At colleges across Texas last month, a series of viral campus videos, abrupt professor firings, confusing teaching restrictions and sudden course audits came in such rapid-fire succession that before the fallout was over at...

Texas selects New York firm to oversee school voucher accounts

TEXAS — A new player is stepping into Texas’ education system — helping design and run the state’s school voucher program known as Texas Education Freedom Accounts, or TEFA. What You Need To Know The Texas Comptroller’s Office has selected...

Texas Supreme Court lets judges opt out of performing same-sex marriages based on religious beliefs

Texas judges will no longer face penalties if they opt out of performing same-sex marriages if the practice violates their religious beliefs, the state’s highest court ruled.The Texas Supreme Court added a comment to the state’s judicial conduct...

Texas city removes anti-border wall mural after threat from governor

Posted/updated on: October 30, 2025 at 12:18 pm HOUSTON (AP) — A South Texas city has removed a mural protesting the border wall along the southern border with Mexico following a threat by Gov. Greg Abbott to withhold up to $1.6 billion in road...

Texas city removes woke anti-CBP mural after Governor Greg Abbott threatened to hit them where it hurts

A Texas city has ripped down a 'Defund the Wall' border mural after Governor Greg Abbott threatened to strip more than $1 billion in road funding. On Monday, officials in Laredo voted to tear down a painted mural along the southern US-Mexico...

Texas Democrats urge Gov. Greg Abbott to direct emergency funds to address the looming food crisis

Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. See our AI policy , and give us feedback . Texas Democratic lawmakers have urged Gov. Greg Abbott to use his executive authority to provide emergency state funding...

Texas Standard for Oct. 30, 2025: What Texas voters should know before Election Day

Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. Check back later today for updated story links and audio. What Texas voters should know before election day With 17 constitutional amendments on the ballot next week, state...

Texas Voters to Decide on Citizenship Voting Amendment

On Nov. 4 Texas voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution to explicitly state that only U.S. citizens can vote — a measure supporters say strengthens election integrity and critics call unnecessary political theater. The proposal,...

TEXAS VIEW: Texas voters will decide the fate of 17 proposed constitutional amendments

Early voting is underway on state and local elections regarding several issues, including 17 proposed amendments to the state Constitution. Local entities across the Rio Grande Valley also have ballot measures to elect new officials or decide...

Texas Supreme Court says judges shouldn’t be punished for refusing LGBTQ+ weddings on religious grounds

A couple embraces on its wedding day. Credit: Shutterstock / PeopleImages Texas judges who decline to perform a wedding based on “sincerely held” religious views, such as their disapproval of LGBTQ+ unions, aren’t violating state rules on judicial...

Houston Approves $16 Million Downtown Shelter for Unhoused Residents

This morning Houston City Council has approved the $16 million purchase of a downtown facility to serve as a new “low-barrier” resource center for people experiencing homelessness — one of the largest investments in the city’s ongoing effort to...

Texas Supreme Court Lets Judges Refuse Same-Sex Marriages on Religious Grounds

The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that state judges may now refuse to marry same-sex couples if doing so conflicts with their religious beliefs — a move advocates say greenlights discrimination against LGBTQ Texans. The court amended the Texas...

Texas Faces Hard Times as SNAP Benefits Run Dry

We are about to enter unprecedented times when it comes to people who rely on government benefits. Let’s skip the “why we are here” part of the conversation. You already have an opinion that probably lines up with whatever side of the political...

Election Days is Tuesday, Nov. 4

Early voting is ending for the Tuesday, Nov. 4, general election that has at least two ballot issues for Collin County voters. Early voting began Monday, Oct. 20, and ends Friday, Oct. 31. Polls are open Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. All...

Mayor says Aaron Smith is man for the job

Aaron Smith Odessa Mayor Cal Hendrick and Acting City Manager Aaron Smith held an hour-long Zoom press conference Wednesday to clear up misunderstandings about the resignation of City Manager David Vela and to talk about the immediate future....

Election 2025: Meet Leland Town Council candidate Bill McHugh

Bill McHugh (Photo: Bill McHugh for Leland Town Council FB)LELAND, NC (WWAY) — The 2025 municipal election is underway, and Leland voters will soon decide who will serve as the town’s next council members. To help voters learn more about where...

Governor Jeff Landry Takes Charge in LSU Coaching Search, Challenges AD Scott Woodward’s Choices

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry decided that LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward won't handle the search for the university's new football coach, aiming to prevent mistakes of the past. This move follows the university's financial troubles due to...

Texas Middle School Coach Charged With Recording Students

Something that has been on the rise recently in Texas is the number of cases involving child pornography and secret recordings. I mean, how could we forget about the Potato Factory scandal in Amarillo recently? More and more, though, we are...

Legals for 10/31/2025 – 11/06/2025

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE Default having been made in the terms of that certain Mortgage, executed on July 14, 2015, by MAM Investments Series Nine, LLC, a Nevada LLC, as Mortgagor, to FVP, LLC, a Florida LLC, as Mortgagee, which said Mortgage is...

Military families feel forgotten as uncertainty around being paid fuels resentment during government shutdown

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...