Stories by Texas Tribune fellows

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service announced in May that it would expand its definition of sexual discrimination to include gender identity and sexual orientation. Paxton and other attorneys general are suing in response. Full Story 

The gunman who killed 19 elementary students and two teachers bought the assault rifle he used after turning 18 just days before the massacre. Full Story 

U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales was the only Texas Republican to vote for a bill seeking to codify the right to same-sex marriage. The measure passed the House, but its fate in the Senate is uncertain. Full Story 

For about three hours, people demanded the resignation of the school district superintendent and threatened to keep their children out of school until campus security is improved. Full Story 

The department’s officers made up nearly one-fourth of the 376 law enforcement members who responded to Texas’ deadliest school shooting. Announcement of the inquiry came one day after a report criticized police response to the massacre. Full Story 

The bill would also shield the rights of any person or group helping someone get an abortion out of state. Full Story 

It’s not clear what roles Brian Babin and Louie Gohmert played in the December 2020 meeting preceding the U.S. Capitol attack that interrupted Congress’ certification of the vote. Full Story 

One session on school shootings at the American School Counselor Association’s annual conference in Austin this week drew a large crowd. It discussed the roles counselors play before and after such traumatic events. Full Story 

Abbott announced that his already $4 billion border mission would provide grant funding for cities and counties, following a press conference by some local officials calling on the governor to take more drastic action to secure the border. Full Story 

The Republican U.S. senator shepherded landmark gun legislation through the Senate last month. Between April and June, his disapproval rating went from 39% to 50%, according to a Texas Politics Project poll. Full Story 

The Republican incumbent’s lead over his Democratic challenger shrank last month, according to a Texas Politics Project poll. The 6-point gap is smaller than when Republican George W. Bush ousted Democrat Ann Richards in 1994. Full Story 

The withdrawal comes after the congressional vote to confirm Gonzalez, a vocal opponent of Donald Trump’s immigration policies, stalled for months. Full Story 

The authorities said the tragedy appeared to be the deadliest migrant-smuggling operation in memory. Sixteen people were taken to hospitals. Full Story 

The Supreme Court cited safe haven laws as an abortion alternative when it overturned Roe v. Wade. But Texas’ policy lacks funding and just 172 infants have been relinquished since 2009. Full Story 

Experts said the plan, announced at the state GOP convention on Saturday, is not realistic and possibly not legal. Full Story 

Amid a rise in conservative efforts opposed to teaching the lingering impacts of slavery and racism, the descendants of formerly enslaved people are using the Juneteenth holiday to educate younger generations. Full Story 

Some LGBTQ Texans are trying to navigate plans to commemorate the catalyst of their civil rights movement with concerns about safety after 31 members of a Texas-based hate group were charged with conspiracy to riot at a Pride event in Idaho. Full Story 

Each year, approximately 300,000 students begin eighth grade in a Texas public school. Use our database to learn about the education outcomes of these eighth grade cohorts, including higher education enrollment and graduation rates. Full Story 

The executive order calls on the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to increase access to gender-affirming health care and develop ways to counter state efforts aimed at limiting such treatments for transgender minors. Full Story 

During a Texas Tribune event, Democratic state Reps. Joe Moody and Claudia Ordaz Perez and state Sen. César Blanco said the Uvalde school shooting and the overturning of Roe v. Wade demand action in the Texas Legislature. Full Story