U.S. Senate, Texas Railroad Commission races remain tight less than month before early voting, TSU poll finds
A second poll, from Texas 2036, shows a large fraction of voters remain undecided, while many intend to split their tickets.
The Piney Point
Government
Republicans want to turn Mamdani into a bogeyman for the midterms. Trump just made that harder
Earlier in the month, President Donald Trump warned voters that democratic socialists — extreme, crazed, lunatics, he called them — were threatening to transform America into “a communist country.” This week, a smiling Trump patted on the shoulder one of the nation's best known d...
The Woodlands Township moves forward on new cell tower plans
The Woodlands Township board of directors approved moving forward on three sites for new cell towers after a public hearing.
Bo French leads Railroad Commission race despite drop in favorability, poll shows
Republican railroad commission candidate Bo French is seeing his favorability among Texas voters drop amid his controversial social media posts.
Pasadena ISD cancels vote that would have quadrupled some employee healthcare premiums
After intense backlash from employees, Pasadena ISD Superintendent Toni Lopez removed the vote from the agenda just hours before the school board meeting and committed to keeping the current medical plan in place....
Santa Fe ISD board approves plans and contract tied to Santa Fe 10 Memorial
The memorial will honor the 10 people who died and other victims of the May 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School.
Pasadena ISD backs down on health insurance plan that would have more than tripled some family premiums
Pasadena Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Toni Lopez says the district will not move forward with a proposed transition to TRS-ActiveCare on Jan. 1. Lopez announced the decision after withdrawing the health insurance item from Tuesday night’s Board of Trustees meeti...
DoorDash to pay $131M for underpaying delivery workers in New York City
DoorDash will pay $131.5 million to settle claims that it underpaid delivery workers in New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Tuesday. The agreement, which officials descibed as the largest worker settlement in city history, also requires the company to submit to a new mo...
Texas Senate race focuses on high prices — but what can candidates actually do about it?
Affordability has dominated the U.S. Senate race in Texas. Both James Talarico and Ken Paxton have promised to help voters' pocketbooks.
Harris County leaders urge Texans to check if voter registration is on ‘suspense’ list
With the deadline to register to vote less than two weeks away, election officials are also urging Texans to check whether their registration is on the suspense list. Harris County’s voter registrar said there are roughly 300,000 voters in the county on the suspense list. The imp...
Deadline to register to vote fast approaching
The deadline to register to vote in the November election is fast approaching. For those registering by mail, their application must be postmarked by the October 5 deadline or turned in at a Harris County Tax Office. Even for those already registered, Harris County leaders urged ...
Gov. Greg Abbott directs Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to halt data center permits, office says
Gov. Greg Abbott's office announced that he directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to halt all data center permits until ERCOT finished its audit....
Kamala Harris says midterms could be 'stopgap' on Trump and urges Dem unity for El-Sayed in Michigan
Campaigning in Michigan for Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed , former Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday that the midterm elections offer a potential “stopgap” halfway through Donald Trump's turbulent second presidency. And she urged Democrats not to be undone by a...
James Talarico is moderating on gender, climate issues in his competitive Senate election
State Rep. James Talarico sat at the end of a long table in May 2021 and pleaded with his colleagues on the Texas House Public Education Committee. He wanted them to vote down a Republican bill prohibiting transgender student-athletes from competing on sports teams aligned with t...
Parole hearings for Menendez brothers set for early 2027
The Menendez brothers will have another opportunity in 2027 to convince a parole board they should be set free.
Pasadena ISD employees fight proposed insurance switch that could raise monthly premiums by more than $1,800
Pasadena ISD teachers and employees are fighting back against a proposed health insurance change they say could devastate their finance, and some are now seeking a court order to stop the district from voting on the plan tomorrow night. The Pasadena ISD board is expected to vote ...
Harris Co. Judge Lina Hidalgo said she won't vote for fellow Democrat, Commissioner Lesley Briones
After losing the budget battle, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is eyeing the November elections and said she won't support one of her Democratic colleagues....
Appeals court favors Trump-backed Missouri congressional map, but Supreme Court will have final say
A long-running legal fight over Missouri’s congressional map took another turn Monday when a federal appeals panel ruled in favor of new districts backed by President Donald Trump, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has blocked those districts from being used in the November elec...
UK to offer Saudi Arabia aerial refueling to counter Houthi attacks
ABOARD THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER’Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday that Britain has agreed to provide limited military support to Saudi Arabia to repel attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Burnham told reporters as he flew to the United Nations General Assembly i...
Gov. Abbott orders pause for all data centers until ERCOT audit is finished
Gov. Abbott says data centers cannot be approved until ERCOT, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) gather the information they need....
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott orders halt to all data center permits
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to halt all permits sought by data centers until the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) completes an audit. The governors office says state agencies require the data from the a...
Redistricting arms race reshaped House districts for 1 in 10 Americans
According to a new report, bout one in 10 Americans now live in a different district than they did during the 2024 election cycle.
Houston officials again delay $150 million grant application tied to ‘immigration law enforcement’
Mayor John Whitmire downplayed the connection between the grant and immigration enforcement, arguing it wouldn’t change city policy.
Google fined $463 million for breaching EU rule on location data
Google has been fined 403 million euros ($463 million) for breaching the European Union's strict privacy rules because it mishandled users' location data, the bloc's data privacy watchdog said Monday. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission said its investigation found Google did no...
German leader faces tough time ahead after election defeats, but no sign of leadership challenge
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stood by his vow to stay in office Monday after his party suffered two more regional election defeats and was voted out of a state legislature in a humiliating first. But he faces a struggle to keep his reform agenda intact. Minutes after polls cl...
City of Sugar Land to increase fees for services
The City of Sugar Land will increase fees for certain services in the city. On Sept. 15, the Sugar Land City Council approved the second reading of an ordinance which will increase fees for city services. A summary of the ordinance says the review and subsequent change to fees re...
Texas voting guide: Registration deadline, early voting start and other important election dates
Election day isn't until Nov. 3, but there are many upcoming dates that voters should remember as they prepare to cast their ballots.
Passenger goes overboard on Carnival Panorama cruise ship from Puerto Vallarta to Long Beach, California
A passenger on a Carnival cruise ship went overboard, prompting a lockdown.
The Latest: MS NOW, CNN and Politico file lawsuit against Trump to restore White House access
CNN, MS NOW and Politico on Monday sued President Donald Trump’s administration after they were barred from covering the White House, saying the selective ban was “a blatant violation” of the First Amendment. Meanwhile, Trump will meet with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani when...
The main Kremlin party wins tighter control of parliament in Russia's carefully orchestrated vote
The main Kremlin party has further strengthened its already overwhelming control of parliament, according to results Monday from Russia’s first wartime parliamentary election, a tightly orchestrated vote that excluded virtually any genuine opposition. With over 95% of the vote co...
Trump decries Democrats as 'communists,' even as he looks to impress China's communist leader
Communism, President Donald Trump says, is the greatest threat the U.S. has ever faced. This summer, citing similarly grave concerns, he took the rare step of delivering a primetime address to the nation , accusing China of “sinister election meddling” in 2020 and reviving his ye...
Trump and Mamdani plan to meet in New York during the president's upcoming UN visit
President Donald Trump will meet with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani when Trump travels to the city for the upcoming U.N. General Assembly. The meeting is scheduled for Monday and at Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence, according to Anna Bahr, Mamdani’s communicati...
'La Bola Negra' wins TIFF's People Choice Award, putting it on Oscar path
“La Bola Negra,” the Spanish queer epic about the intertwined lives of three gay men, won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, confirming its status as a major Oscar contender. TIFF's top award is voted on by festivalgoers, and it's beco...
Early results show Russia's main Kremlin party dominating tightly controlled parliamentary vote
Russia’s main Kremlin party, United Russia, was dominating the country’s first wartime parliamentary election , according to early returns released Monday from a tightly controlled election virtually devoid of opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s policies. The vote, which is ...
Alaskans will decide fate of ranked choice voting system after chaotic end to state's primary
Even after the last votes were counted from Alaska's primary election, the final slate of candidates was far from settled. Late withdrawals shook up the races for governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House, leaving many voters upset with candidates who dropped out after winning a spot ...
Rising gas prices frustrate voters. Trump says it's an 'inexpensive price to pay' for the Iran war
Quinten Martinez, pumping gas under a hot South Texas sun, remembers a time when fueling up didn't require difficult decisions. “Is it going to be groceries this week?" asked the 28-year-old Amazon delivery driver as he watched the numbers tick higher. "Is it gonna be getting gas...
Merz vows to press ahead with reforms after historic German state election defeat
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suffered a bruising electoral setback in two state elections on Sunday, including a historic defeat for his party, but vowed to press ahead with potentially painful reforms to Europe’s biggest economy . Projections by public broadcaster ARD on Sun...
Federal judge pauses Texas GOP effort to close primary elections
A federal judge on Friday paused a bid by Texas Republicans to close the state's primary elections to only voters registered with the party.
This swing state Republican keeps distancing himself from Trump. It may not save him in the midterms
Mary Ryan may be a registered Republican but she has never voted for President Donald Trump , turned off by his crass style of politics and chaotic approach to governing. But the 60-year-old medical writer from the Philadelphia suburbs has consistently backed her party's congress...
Munich’s Oktoberfest roars to life as the mayor taps the first keg
Munich's Oktoberfest kicked off Saturday with the city's mayor tapping the first keg of beer and opening the 191st edition of the world's largest folk festival. Mayor Dominik Krause put the first keg on tap with only two strokes and the traditional cry of “O’zapft is” — or “It's ...
Russia holds parliamentary vote in areas it seized from Ukraine in the war
Russia’s parliamentary election for the first time includes residents of regions that Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine after the start of its full-scale invasion more than 4 1/2 years ago, part of Kremlin efforts to cement its gains. Officials in Kyiv vigorously denounced th...
Federal judge pauses Texas Republicans’ bid to close primaries
A federal judge on Friday afternoon paused a bid by Texas Republicans to restrict participation in the GOP’s primary elections to voters registered with the party. While Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a U.S. district judge based in Amarillo, stopped the effort, he wrote in his order th...
Rodeo Houston unveils ‘The Farm,’ a new $300M agricultural complex
The Farm is expected to open in time for the 2029 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and Houston Mayor John Whitmire said he is expediting the permit process for the new facility....
2 Helps You: Can you offset the historic Harris County property tax rate hike? Here is a reality check
Property taxes remain a major concern for Harris County homeowners, with higher tax rates translating into higher tax bills for property owners following Thursday’s vote by Harris County Commissioner’s Court to increase the county’s tax rate. While homeowners cannot control the t...
Lina Hidalgo calls out Tom Ramsey over Harris County property tax hike, says his ‘no’ vote allowed increase to pass
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is calling out Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey over the county’s newly approved property tax increase, arguing that his decision to vote against it did not stop the hike from passing. One day after the tax hike approval, Hidalgo pushed back in ...
Amazon settlement expands, which could mean more money for you
The Federal Trade Commission said that Amazon will expand payments to eligible customers as part of last year's $2.5 billion settlement. Here’s what you need to know....
Harris County had $15 million left to allocate in early September. Here’s where commissioners decided to spend it
When Harris County Commissioners Court met Sept. 8 to work through the final stages of its fiscal year 2027 budget, the county still had roughly $15.1 million in General Fund spending dollars that had not been assigned to specific programs. Nine days later, almost all of it had a...
Dozens of burn injuries lead to recall of heated blankets sold on Amazon
JKMAX Heated Blankets and Heating Pads were recalled after reports of burn injuries and the products smoking, melting or burning, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission....
Florida GOP candidate says Trump has 'gone too far'
A Republican congressional representative in a heated reelection bid in Florida released a new ad saying President Donald Trump has “gone too far” in his immigration enforcement practices in the country....
Early voting begins in US midterm elections that could flip control of Congress
The Nov. 3 election includes votes for governor and state legislature in most states and will determine whether the House and Senate maintain their Republican majorities....
The Latest: Trump says he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House over their coverage
President Donald Trump said Friday that he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House due to what he called unfavorable coverage, and threatened that more such prohibitions of media outlets could follow. Meanwhile, in-person voting for this year’s midterm elections...
2 Newsletter: Harris County approves largest property tax hike in county history
Good morning, Houston.☀️ Harris County’s largest property-tax increase in history is now approved, with the average homeowner expected to pay about $190 more a year—and the debate is far from over. County commissioners are defending the hike, while Judge Lina Hidalgo is calling t...
Texas land commissioner 2026: Who is running and what you need to know
Editor’s note: To help readers learn more about the candidates running for statewide seats, The Texas Tribune is sharing information about the Republican, Democratic and third-party candidates. For more information on midterms and the voting process, check out our election resour...
EU chief floats 'associate membership' for Canada. But that doesn't exist yet
By opening the door this week for Canada to become the first “associate member” of the European Union, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered Prime Minister Mark Carney hope, but also an illusion. There are many ways to take steps toward joining the world’s bi...
A truck driver built a model of NYC with over 800,000 structures for fun. Now it's a museum exhibit
For more than two decades, truck driver Joe Macken spent his free time building a massive scale model of his native New York City out of balsa wood and foam board. When he finished, his daughter convinced him to show off the sprawling basement creation — encompassing over 800,000...
Russia begins 3 days of voting in a parliamentary election set to cement the Kremlin's power
Russians on Friday began three days of voting in the country’s first wartime parliamentary election , which features virtually no opposition and is all but certain to secure the Kremlin’s political dominance. Authorities spread the election over the weekend, ending Sunday, in a b...
3 Harris County commissioners defend largest property tax increase in county history and blame Trump, Abbott
Three Harris County commissioners voted Thursday to raise property taxes and immediately after the vote, shared the reasons for the hike and who they believe is to blame. Commissioners Court approved a tax rate increase in a 3-1 vote. The new tax rate represents approximately a 7...
Virginia's attorney general says DHS may have violated state election law after whistleblower report
Virginia's attorney general said Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security may have violated several state laws after a whistleblower accused its employees of misrepresenting themselves on voter lookup tools to hunt for noncitizen voters . In a letter obtained by The Asso...
Harris County commissioners approve $1.4 million fund for 24/7 ankle-monitoring services
On Thursday, Harris County commissioners approved a $1.4 million fund for 24/7 ankle-monitoring services, according to Adrian Garcia's press secretary, Scott Spiegel....
One group has stayed mostly mum on Bo French’s racist post — Texas’ oil and gas industry
Bo French, the rabble-rousing candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission, drew national attention this week for singling out a group of students of South Asian descent at a Longhorns game in a racist social media post, thrusting the little-understood regulatory agency into the s...