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Gov. Greg Abbott often highlights the appeal of Texas due to its low taxes and business-friendly environment, but do his policies truly align with fostering rapid growth? Or does he prioritize initiatives like school vouchers over expansion when they conflict? In recent weeks, Klein ISD, a rapidly expanding and highly rated school district in Texas, has encountered adversity. Instances such as a teacher’s arrest for sex trafficking and the disappearance of a nonverbal autistic child have underscored the challenges faced by the district’s overcrowded campuses. Gov. Abbott saw this as an oppor ..read more

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Charges have been dropped against 46 of the 57 people arrested at Wednesday’s pro-Palestine protest at UT-Austin. Those arrested were charged with criminal trespass after UT officials ordered the protesters to disperse. The 57 protesters were booked into the Travis County Jail, according to The Texas Tribune. Defense attorneys raised concerns about “deficiencies” in the arrest affidavits and Travis County Attorney Delia Garza said law enforcement lacked probable cause in the 46 cases that were dismissed. Garza’s office will continue to review individual cases to “determine whether prosecution ..read more

The nation is experiencing an outbreak of H5N1 avian flu across the cattle herds of the country. Leaders like Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller say the danger is minimal. Some experts say otherwise, and there are factors that may not be widely considered. “There is no danger to the public,” Miller tweeted in March. “Protecting this $50 billion industry is essential to our ranchers and our economy. We are moving aggressively to address this outbreak.” Bird flu has shown up in 33 herds across eight states. So far, only one human has been confirmed to have the latest strain. A Texas man c ..read more

UT-Austin faculty and other university members have criticized the response against Wednesday’s pro-Palestininan protest where armed state troopers arrested more than 50 people. According to The Texas Tribune, at least 57 people were arrested at the peaceful protest hosted by the Palestine Solidarity Committee. UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell said the student protesters had “tried to deliver on their stated intent to occupy campus” and defended the university’s response. The Department of Public Safety said the university and Gov. Greg Abbott had requested assistance to maintain the peace by ..read more

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan is in the fight of his political life thanks to a Trump-backed primary challenger. If he fails to win, Beaumont could also lose big. District 21 is not one of the state’s more famous political districts. It covers most of Beaumont, which is a city compared to most small Texas towns, but definitely a town compared to nearby Houston. One-fifth of the population lives below the poverty line. While Beaumont once prospered thanks to Spindletop and shipbuilding during World War II, it has seen noticeable decline in the last half century. In short, it’s a place that ne ..read more

The Texas power grid will face unprecedented demand for electricity by 2030, thanks to a growing number of industrial energy users in the state. This could strain the grid, according to ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas. According to the Houston Chronicle, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas expects peak power demand to increase to 152 gigawatts, a nearly 78% increase in just six years. Over the past two decades, electricity demand has grown by about 1% per year. To address this, ERCOT is undergoing a strategic shift, moving into a new era of planning to meet the diverse power needs of Texans, inclu ..read more

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Texas has a prolonged history with alternatives to public education. In the past, the push toward vouchers was because of racial segregation, but this time, it is about money and Greg Abbott’s determination to do the bidding of those with the most money. This relationship between Abbott and a few deep-pocketed individuals is reciprocal.  In 1957, the Texas House approved a bill that would have given any family that withdrew their child from an integrated school a “tuition grant” to attend a private school. The bill was part of a package of legislation sent to the state Senate with one goa ..read more