Hispanic GOP candidates could reshape Texas’ congressional delegation — if they can win Hispanic voters

Texas voters could nominate as many as six Hispanic Republicans in the state’s most hotly contested congressional races. Party leaders hope that’ll help keep Hispanic voters in the GOP’s corner.
Christian Menefee’s district sat vacant for 11 months. His first bill in Congress would set a deadline for special elections.

The Houston Democrat was elected earlier this year to finish out the term of Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died in March 2025. The safely blue district was left vacant for 334 days.
Family seeks answers on Afghan man’s death in ICE custody

Nazeer Paktyawal, a 41-year-old who fought with the U.S. military in Afghanistan, died in a Dallas ICE facility soon after his arrest in March. His family still doesn’t know what caused his death.
A Houston ISD exec tapped for Beaumont schools superintendent during its second state takeover

Former Houston school administrators now work as superintendents or key executives in three districts under Texas’ control. This is Beaumont’s second state intervention in recent years.
FIFA could make billions from the World Cup. Texas host cities will get little in return.

Almost all of the costs for organizing the tournament fall on the cities, whose ability to collect revenue is limited. In Texas, that could leave taxpayers on the hook.
Texas inmate James Broadnax faces Thursday execution amid final appeal arguing he wasn’t the shooter

The death row inmate has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his execution, pointing to a codefendant’s confession in the shooting death of two people.
U.S. Supreme Court weakens key pillar of Voting Rights Act, opening the door for Texas to redraw political maps

While the court did not strike down the provision entirely, Justice Elena Kagan said Wednesday’s ruling made Section 2 of the VRA “all but a dead letter.”
Texas voters can face confusion as political parties run primary as they wish

Local GOP and Democratic county leaders have control, taxpayers foot the bill and voters have little recourse. But lawmakers are unlikely to change how Texas’ primary elections work.
Camp Mystic director apologizes to families of campers, counselors who died in flood

“I think about the night of the flood every moment of every day,” Edward Eastland said at a committee hearing Tuesday. “We tried our hardest that night and it wasn’t enough to save your daughters.”
Disaster declarations ripple through South Texas amid water crisis

Small towns around Corpus Christi worry where they’ll fall on the pecking order if the region’s water runs out.