Some Texas business leaders are apprehensive about Trump’s pledged deportations
“We wouldn’t survive” without undocumented workers, one South Texas produce business owner said. By one estimate, 8% of Texas’ workforce lacks legal status. Full Story
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Joshua Fechter is the Dallas-based urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune, covering policy — including housing affordability, housing and property taxes, evictions, policing and transportation — and politics in Texas' major metropolitan areas. Before joining the Tribune in August 2021, Joshua covered City Hall for the San Antonio Express-News. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.
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![Construction workers building homes in far west San Antonio on Dec. 10, 2024.]()
Credit: Scott Stephen Ball for The Texas Tribune -
Texas has a housing affordability crisis. Here’s how state lawmakers may tackle it in 2025.
A likely fight over how much power to take away from local governments may dominate the debate. Full Story
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![The Celina water tower among newer housing developments in Celina on November 13, 2024.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Donald Trump picks Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta as ambassador to Italy
Fertitta, owner of the Houston Rockets and Landry’s restaurant group, hosted a fundraiser for Trump earlier this year. Full Story
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![Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta leaves the court during the fourth quarter of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Toyota Center in Houston on Oct. 15, 2024.]()
Credit: Erik Williams/Imagn Images/USA TODAY Sports via REUTERS -
Texas is now home to 31 million people even as population growth slows
Texas added nearly 563,000 residents within the last year, new U.S. Census Bureau estimates show. Full Story
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![The Austin skyline begins to light up as the solar eclipse reaches peak totality on Monday, April 8, 2024.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
High-speed rail efforts in Texas have gained some momentum. The Texas Legislature and Donald Trump may change that.
A yearslong effort to bring high-speed rail to Texas has recently shown signs of life, but state lawmakers have consistently put up roadblocks to keep it from happening. Full Story
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![Railroad tracks near a proposed bullet train terminus on the outskirts of downtown Dallas, on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022. The entities in charge of a bullet train connection between Houston and DFW have faded despite Texas courts approving eminent domain to accomplish the massive project.]()
Credit: Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune -
Feds can’t destroy razor wire Texas installed near Eagle Pass, appeals court rules
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had sued the Biden administration after Border Patrol agents had cut the razor wire. Full Story
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![A row of shipping containers and razor wire placed on the banks of the Rio Grande River by Gov. Greg Abbott to form a makeshift border wall in Eagle Pass on Nov. 19, 2021.]()
Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune -
Election Day updates: South Texas continues dramatic shift toward Donald Trump, GOP
Texas might not be a swing state, but many of its races will have major consequences to the national political landscape and on the lives of everyday Texans. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line at the Houston Community College Southeast voting location in Houston on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Texas withdraws request to block U.S. Justice Department from monitoring state’s elections
The federal agency agreed their monitors would remain outside polling locations and wouldn’t interfere with voting. Full Story
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![Voters check in to vote at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center in Houston, Tuesday Nov. 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ housing shortage is getting worse, report says
Texas builds more homes than other states but hundreds of thousands more are still needed, the report said, contributing to higher housing costs. Full Story
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![New home construction in north Longview's Hidden Hills subdivision on December 17, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribune -
Takeaways from our reporting on Texas’ housing affordability crisis
The Texas Tribune examined the state’s housing affordability crisis and why the state has struggled to build enough homes to meet demand. Full Story
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![San Antonio neighborhoods on May 25, 2024.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune