The Texas Tribune

A surrogate mother named McKenna West traveled to Texas and gave birth to a baby boy after allegedly being pressured regarding the discovery of a severe heart defect. The child’s biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed of California, confirmed the birth but denied forcing West from Alaska to undergo an abortion, according to reports.

James Talarico accused Ken Paxton of voter fraud related to an address where he no longer lived. The Texas Tribune and ProPublica found that Talarico's own voter registration also appears to involve a similar issue.

State Rep. James Talarico accused Ken Paxton of voter fraud, but ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found Talarico voted using his parents’ address after purchasing a nearby home, potentially violating voting laws. Paxton, Talarico’s Senate opponent, also faced similar allegations for voting at an address where he allegedly no longer resides. Both have not fully disclosed their voting histories, and an attorney noted Texas election laws are broadly worded, making fraud determinations challenging.

The Texas Tribune has updated its database of state employees' compensation to include salaries as of July 1, 2026. The database provides information on what state employees in Texas are paid.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot and killed by ICE agents in Houston during an attempted arrest. Federal officials claim he tried to flee and 'weaponized his vehicle' toward an officer who fired. Family members and local officials are demanding a full investigation.

Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban immigrant with a history of mental illness, died by suicide at the East Camp Montana immigration detention center in El Paso, Texas, after repeated failures to address his mental health needs. Records show he complained multiple times about missed antipsychotic medication doses and was not transferred to a higher-level care facility despite staff acknowledging his crisis.

Passages from the Bible will now be required reading for public school students in Texas. The Republican-controlled state board of education approved the mandatory reading list, marking the first of its kind in the country.

Texas lawmakers have agreed to make illegal voting a felony again and are seeking fixes to the statewide voter registration system ahead of the midterms. The article mentions voters casting ballots in Houston on November 8, 2022.

Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General, is accused by lawyers of forum shopping by filing lawsuits in counties with tenuous connections to the cases. ProPublica and The Texas Tribune identified at least 30 such lawsuits filed over nine years, contradicting Paxton's previous advocacy to limit forum shopping practices.

Texas lawmakers failed to pass legislation that could have protected residents from deadly floods, despite repeated warnings and opportunities to curb development in high-risk areas. At least 137 people died in the July 4 tragedy, with most staying in places identified as being at risk for flooding. The state's inability to pass protective legislation has been criticized by experts.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Dallas over insufficient police funding, citing a voter-approved charter requirement. Art Martinez de Vara, a Houston-based attorney and mayor of Von Ormy, Texas, played a key role in drafting the contested charter changes through his work with Dallas HERO, a nonprofit advocating limited government.