While many rely on public transit, Dallas is not what most people would consider “walkable.” But that didn’t stop Jeffrey McWhorter from lacing up his boots, grabbing his camera and hitting the road by foot last spring.

An emerging tick-borne condition known as alpha-gal syndrome causes allergic reactions to red meat and has affected hundreds of thousands of Americans. For farmers who work closely with livestock, the diagnosis can be especially disruptive.

Three Democrats want to bring new ideas to the role of Lieutenant Governor of Texas. But no matter who wins March’s Democratic primary, they’ll face an uphill battle running against incumbent Republican Dan Patrick in November.

Investigations have documented lawsuits and allegations of mistreatment involving pregnant inmates in Texas jails, including cases of poor medical care. The state is now collecting more detailed data on pregnant people in custody – a change advocates hope will improve accountability.

The Texas Supreme Court is taking back control over lawyer licensing. Supporters say it modernizes the system — but critics see a big risk.

Texas school boards have weeks to decide whether to allow prayer time under SB11. Faith leaders are lobbying hard on both sides: txst.us/1dbacp

Sandra Cisneros, probably the most celebrated Hispanic writer in the Southwest for the past several decades, attracts enormous crowds of particularly young admirers any time she speaks. She is a rock star.

The Texas Education Agency has warned school districts that facilitating student political walkouts could lead to a state takeover.

Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a statewide disaster declaration to prevent the potential spread of the New World Screwworm into Texas. The harmful parasite presents a serious threat to the livestock industry and wildlife.

In early February 1973, Willie Nelson and his Family Band, along with guests Doug Sahm, Waylon Jennings, and Jessi Colter, traveled to NYC to record not one, but two Nelson albums in quick succession: “Shotgun Willie” and “The Troublemaker.” buff.ly/nX64CQp

Monday is the deadline to register to vote in Texas for the March 3 primary election. Voters get to decide who will appear on the November ballot for a range of elected offices, including governor, attorney general, U.S. House and Senate, and seats in the Texas Legislature.

Voters in the 18th Congressional District, who have gone nearly 11 months without representation in Washington, have finally selected their next representative. buff.ly/Vfqcqp3

At Banana Phone, Austin comedians do one minute of standup. Then the entire crowd heckles and roasts them.

Two Texas Monthly journalists were driving through West Texas last week when they became the story themselves. The Latino reporters were pulled over three times, first by a local county officer in Sanderson, then by ICE near Presidio, and finally by DPS outside of Marfa.

At least 11 people have died in Texas, nearly half of them children, as a winter storm continued to grip the state Thursday.

Meta is preparing to test paid subscription features for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, including expanded sharing tools and enhanced artificial intelligence features. Here's what users may be asked to pay for – and whether the strategy stands a chance of succeeding. buff.ly/PUERIiY

Cow cuddling, ice cream churning and farm tours are among the tactics dairy farmers are employing to compensate for low milk prices.

Gov. Greg Abbott designated CAIR as a terrorist organization in November, a move the Muslim civil rights group is challenging in court as defamatory and unsupported by law. txst.us/vysqw9

On Jan. 26, 1945, 19-year-old East Texan Audie Murphy almost single-handedly held off a German counteroffensive in occupied France. txst.us/z2zq9c

Just outside of Abilene, a four million square foot complex is being built on just over a thousand acres of land. The complex is home base for Stargate, part of a $500 billion nationwide buildout of AI infrastructure. This project is backed by OpenAI and Oracle.

Council members hope Austin police can find a way to minimize contact with federal immigration agents, despite state laws that stop cities from prohibiting local police from cooperating with ICE.

Texas’ top Democratic contenders for this year’s U.S. Senate race, Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico of Austin, squared off Saturday in their first debate ahead of March’s party primary. buff.ly/p8fF5Wa

Data centers tied to artificial intelligence are expanding rapidly across rural Texas, drawn by available land and a business-friendly regulatory climate. But residents are raising concerns about electricity demand, water use, and strain on local infrastructure.

Texas barbecue continues to evolve, and one Fort Worth liquor store is now home to a Cambodian-inspired brisket joint turning heads. Kelly’s Cambodian BBQ blends grilled brisket with Southeast Asian flavors, reflecting a broader wave of cultural fusion in the state’s barbecue scene. txst.us/gm46m7

The death of a 55-year-old Cuban detainee who died on Jan. 3 at a federal immigration detention camp in El Paso was ruled a homicide Wednesday by the El Paso Medical Examiner’s office. buff.ly/tEQIiUQ

There have been three deaths reported in the last two months at the nation’s largest immigration detention facility, Camp East Montana, located in El Paso and adjacent to Fort Bliss.

For more than 180 years, HBCUs have been one option in the U.S. The new PBS documentary “Opportunity, Access and Uplift: The Evolving Legacy of HBCUs” aims to bring Historically Black Colleges and Universities to the forefront of the conversation. buff.ly/lgA2y0s

Trump threatens big tariffs on European imports unless Denmark agrees to talk about selling Greenland. Why do you think Trump is obsessed with this idea? What does it mean for NATO/EU alliances? What on earth is happening? Share your thoughts. Record us a message at texasstandard.org/talk.

An ICE prosecutor who was linked to a racist social media account in 2025 has quietly returned to immigration court, despite unanswered questions about disciplinary action. Lawmakers had previously called for an investigation after the Texas Observer exposed the account. txst.us/6mn6gu

San Antonio’s march for MLK did not start as an enormous event, that’s for sure. It began much smaller and quieter. But over the years, it’s evolved into the massive gathering it is today. txst.us/98746u

Historically, Texas voters mostly skip voting in primary elections. That fact changes everything about who ends up being elected – from their ideology to possibly even their party. buff.ly/sDTY9Fb

Starting in mid-June, both Dallas and Houston will each host a series of FIFA World Cup games. Thousands of international soccer fans will flock to these cities in what some have described as hosting multiple Super Bowls in one month. buff.ly/vS8Hlvm

xAI said Wednesday that the Grok AI tool will no longer display nude or sexualized images of real people, including children. Since late December, Grok users on X have been able to ask the AI tool to generate revealing or sexualized images – often of women and children. txst.us/embyqx

On Tuesday, former Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards and former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee met for the sole debate of the special election runoff for Texas’ 18th, a district that winds from downtown Houston through some of its northern suburbs.

SB 8’s novel “bounty hunter” provision, which allows private citizens to sue anyone who “aids or abets” an abortion after cardiac activity is detected in a fetus, has continued to drive legal questions.

“I kept telling him, ‘He’s right there. … You need to do something,’” Flores said, describing the moments before the gunman entered the building. “I was begging him to stop him.”

“Disabled Power: A Storm, a Grid and Embodied Harm in the Age of Disaster“ features interviews with 58 people about how disability impacted them during Texas' deadly 2021 winter storm – and how their own resilience kept them going. buff.ly/GUTR5YV

In the last year, the Trump administration had far-reaching negative impacts on American science, according to interviews with 14 scientists in eight states who work across a wide swath of research fields, including academic institutions and federal agencies. buff.ly/EnanzFN

The skateboarders carve time out of their busy lives every first and third Wednesday at different locations around the Central Texas city to skate with one another. txst.us/3ucd0w

Hundreds of newly-released text messages and emails, obtained through a public records request, detail the frantic, dayslong exchange among senior leaders in the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office during the July 4 flood. buff.ly/AWHkbaJ

Move over Cowboys: As the Houston Texans enter the NFL playoffs with one of the league’s best records, are they really America’s Team? buff.ly/rmZABuq

Often overlooked for her role in Texas music, Goldie Hill set a precedent for women in country music for years to come.

Texas A&M says roughly 200 courses could be affected by a new policy limiting classroom discussion of race and gender. Arriving just as the spring semester begins, students and faculty are trying to understand how the policy will be enforced.

It’s been six months since catastrophic flooding tore through the Texas Hill Country, killing more than 130 people. And while recovery remains far from complete, daily life has largely resumed. But closer to the riverbank, reminders of the disaster are harder to ignore.

Austinites demonstrated for the third day Saturday to protest the killing of a Minnesota woman by federal immigration authorities this week and to call on ICE agents to stop operations in Austin.

Texas has turned over voter roll information for more than 18 million registered voters to the U.S. Justice Department at the request of the Trump administration. The data includes personal identifiers, raising concerns about privacy and potential misuse. buff.ly/iJeJkwp

There was a time when signing your kid up for soccer or softball didn’t take a big investment. But in recent years, the financial commitment required for some youth sports has grown dramatically.

Flu activity is rising sharply across Texas and much of the country, with doctors warning that transmission is likely to continue for weeks. Health officials say children have been hit especially hard.

When Marina Evans was studying at SMU, she heard that the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were holding auditions. She got the job and spent a season in one of the highest-profile dance positions in the world. “I was a cheerleader in the 1980s, when acid wash jeans were in style.” buff.ly/XlobkZ6

As the new year begins, taco journalist Mando Rayo is offering a different kind of resolution list – one focused on what to embrace and what to avoid come taco time in Texas. His advice? Stay focused on culinary curiosity, respect and supporting local taquerias.