The “King of Debt” promised to reduce the national debt — then his tax cuts made it surge. Add in the pandemic, and he oversaw the third-biggest deficit increase of any president. by Allan Sloan, ProPublica, and Cezary Podkul for  ProPublica  Jan. 14, 2021, 5 a.m. EST “This story was originally published by ProPublica.”  ProPublica…

In a Q&A with ProPublica, experts describe how a new climate reality threatens the Southwest, the fastest-growing region in the U.S. by Mark Olalde, ProPublica May 11, 4:20 p.m. EDT “This story was originally published by ProPublica.”  ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches,…

Benzene is a known human carcinogen, according to the EPA. The Texas refineries were among a dozen industrial plants in the U.S. that emitted the highest levels of the chemical in 2021. By Erin Douglas, The Texas TribuneMay 12, 2022 “Five Texas refineries polluted above federal limit on cancer-causing benzene…

Posted by Katy Murdza | May 10, 2022 | Abuses, Border Enforcement, Enforcement U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) announced in a May 6 memorandum that it would eliminate its Border Patrol Critical Incident Teams (BPCITs). The teams have faced criticism for their secretive role at the scenes of incidents involving Border Patrol agents in which someone has died…

Posted by Steven Hubbard | May 5, 2022 | Business & the Workforce, Employment Based The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global supply chains and kept people from going back to work at a time when the demand for goods and labor is high. This has left America contending with a labor shortage while also experiencing high…

Posted by American Immigration Council Staff | Apr 22, 2022 | Border Enforcement, Enforcement Less than a week after the Biden Administration announced the impending end to the COVID-era Title 42 border policy, Texas Governor Greg Abbott escalated his ongoing political fight with the Biden administration over its handling of the border.  On April 6, Governor Abbott directed the Texas…

Chance Dorland, Producer, Public News Service Friday, May 6, 2022    As children grow up, parents and caregivers across Texas face the difficult decision of how to oversee social media use, with an ongoing debate on whether children should be allowed on social media at all. Bob Sanborn, president and CEO…

Epiphany La’Sha, Producer, Public News Service Monday, April 18, 2022    Currently, there are more than 10,000 job openings to teach in Texas. The state has faced a teacher shortage for years, but it became worse during the two-year pandemic.  Educators say there are ways to reverse the trend –…

The trial included four prosecutors, and so many potential jurors were summoned the town sandwich shop was shorthanded for lunch. But a Kinney County jury Monday convicted a Honduran national in the first jury trial for trespassing under Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star. By Jolie McCullough, The Texas TribuneMay…

More than a quarter of women of childbearing age are uninsured in Texas, the highest rate in the nation, and the state has chosen to cap Medicaid benefits for new moms earlier than other states. By Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas TribuneMay 9, 2022 “Texas isn’t ready to support more parents…