Steelworkers union leader emerges as sleeper in Texas’ Democratic lieutenant governor primary

Facing state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, Marcos Vélez has landed the Texas AFL-CIO’s endorsement and support from a donor trail that leads back to the state party’s top campaign partner.
Plane tied to prominent Houston law firm crashes in Maine, killing six

Officials have yet to identify any of the six victims of the crash. The law firm’s PAC has donated to lawmakers fighting tort reform.
Anti-Islam rhetoric takes center stage in Texas Republican primary

As the GOP and its factions debate what constitutes American identity, opposition to Islam has become a key campaign pillar for some Texas Republicans in statewide races and beyond.
El Paso’s plan to build natural gas power plant for massive data center kicks up opposition

Meta’s planned data center could be El Paso’s biggest electricity user. Some residents worry that a new power plant to run it would worsen air pollution and guzzle water.
Ken Paxton: Comptroller can exclude schools from voucher program under anti-terror laws

A CAIR official blasted the Texas AG’s opinion, saying the law does not permit the comptroller to scrutinize Muslim schools because of their religious identity.
Immigrant families protest inside Texas facility housing 5-year-old boy, father detained in Minnesota

Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were detained in Minnesota in an incident that’s further inflamed tensions over the Trump administration’s hardline immigration enforcement.
Jasmine Crockett, James Talarico to face off in first debate of Senate Democratic primary

Saturday’s debate, hosted by the Texas AFL-CIO, gives voters their first side-by-side glimpse of the candidates’ contrasting styles and proposals ahead of the March 3 primary.
Texas winter storm updates: Officials confident grid will hold as freezing weather descends

Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for more than half of Texas counties. Conditions are not expected to reach the severity of 2021’s Winter Storm Uri.
Congressman Wesley Hunt draws scrutiny for missed votes amid campaign for U.S. Senate

The Houston Republican, who has missed 44 of 48 votes this month, said such absences are typical for those seeking higher office. Rep. Chip Roy, a candidate for Texas attorney general, has not missed any votes in 2026.
Removal of LGBTQ+ option from 988 hotline is straining overburdened Texas crisis centers

The groups that operate Texas’ 988 system face a convergence of challenges this year, from expiring federal money to heavier workloads since the Trump administration eliminated the special option for LGBTQ youth.