Texas 2023: Our 25 most engaging stories this year

We came up with an “engagement score” to determine our most engaging stories of the year.
Southern Baptist Convention settles high-profile lawsuit that accused former leader of sexual abuse

The suit prompted a major newspaper investigation into Southern Baptist sexual abuse and seven other men to come forward with allegations against Paul Pressler, an influential conservative activist and former Texas judge.
Texas 2023: Year in Photos

Texas photojournalists fanned the state, capturing historic news and intimate moments.
U.S. Department of Justice says it’ll sue if Texas enforces new law punishing illegal border crossing

The state has until Jan. 3 to say it won’t arrest people accused of unauthorized entry from Mexico. If not, the Biden administration will sue, saying immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility.
Diversity offices on college campuses will soon be illegal in Texas, as 30 new laws go into effect

Other new laws make changes to the tax code, criminal justice and health care systems.
Here are the top stories from our data visuals team in 2023

The Texas Tribune’s data visuals team helped contextualize many of the state’s major stories this year. Here’s a look at some of our most memorable work.
Texans grapple with numerous challenges, yet many are actively seeking solutions

Across the state, people are looking for ways to make Texas a better place to live as they tackle hunger, rural “brain drain,” health care obstacles and other impediments.
Reports about police actions in U.S. mass shootings lack standardization and often leave unanswered questions

A lack of national standards leads to wide variability in after-action examinations of law enforcement’s response, ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and FRONTLINE found.
Looking back at some of the best Texas Tribune reads of 2023

Our journalists brought life to the experiences of everyday Texans, held powerful institutions accountable and surfaced stories that went beyond the daily news cycles.
Far-right activist blasts Speaker Phelan for being “pro-Muslim” in political mailer

The card insinuates that Phelan wants to wish his constituents a happy Ramadan instead of a merry Christmas. Muslim Texans say it’s Islamophobic and some Republicans say it doesn’t reflect Christian values.