Vertical: Politics
The Paxton Penalty: Why Texas’ Senate Race Looks Different From the Rest of the Ballot
James Talarico’s polling strength does not necessarily mean Texas has turned blue. It may mean a meaningful number of independents, moderates and normally Republican…
Texas May Get Another NHL Team. Taxpayers Should Not Buy It One.
A second Texas NHL franchise could bring excitement, rivalry and civic pride. None of that means Austin or Houston residents should be asked to…
Austin or Houston? The NHL’s Texas Expansion Fight May Come Down to the Arena
The NHL has begun evaluating a 33rd franchise in Texas, with the Friedkin family considering Austin and Houston. Houston offers scale and corporate strength.…
The Fight Over the Bell County East Transmission Line Isn’t Really About Power Lines
Texas isn't just building a transmission line. It's deciding how to power its next economic chapter. For many Central Texas landowners, the Bell County…
Pardoned, Then Silent: Fauci’s Blanket Use of the Fifth Raises a New Legal Question
The Fifth Amendment is not evidence of guilt. But Anthony Fauci accepted a sweeping federal pardon covering his pandemic-era service, then refused to answer…
The Bond Passed. Temple College’s Regional Funding Problem Did Not.
Temple voters approved $158 million for science, technology, health sciences and workforce facilities. The election settled whether the projects could proceed, but not whether…
The Property Tax Paradox: Relief Can Be Right and Still Leave Bell County With the Bill
Texas reimbursed Bell County governments for roughly 12 cents of every dollar requested after granting a statewide disabled-veteran exemption. As Gov. Greg Abbott proposes…
Private Doubt, Public Certainty: Fauci Journals Reopen Questions About Pandemic Speech and Power
Federal officials privately debated COVID-19’s origin and fatality rate while credentialed dissenters were publicly discredited and government officials pressed social-media companies to restrict pandemic…
Bell County Schools Serve Tens of Thousands of Free Meals During Summer Break
From community centers in Killeen to weekly meal boxes in Holland, local school districts adapted their summer nutrition programs to reach children where they…
Central Texas Is Becoming One Water System
The Belhouse pipeline isn't about moving water. It's about changing how an entire region thinks about water security. For generations, most communities thought about…