Public News Service

Early voting for the upcoming general election runs from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. (Rob Goebel/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

TX League of Women Voters participates in National Voter Registration Day

Today is National Voter Registration Day, and volunteers with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters are holding voter registration events across the …

El voto anticipado para las pr�ximas elecciones generales tendr� lugar del 21 de octubre al 1 de noviembre. (Rob Goebel/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Liga de Mujeres Votantes de TX participa en el Día Nacional de Registro de Votantes

Hoy es el Día Nacional de Registro de Votantes, y voluntarios de la Liga de Mujeres Votantes, una organización no partidista, están …

Income, location and trust issues can contribute to health disparities in the Latinx community. (Krakenimages.com/Adobe Stock)

TX nonprofits address health disparities in Latino community

Nonprofits across Texas are coming together to address disparities in health care for the Latinx community. A report by the Commonwealth Fund shows …

Texas educators said they want democratic representation and a voice in decision-making as-well-as professional training and development. (shootsroom/Adobe Stock)

TX educators prepare for upcoming legislative session

Texas educators spent the summer in meetings and workshops devising a playbook for the upcoming Texas legislative session. The Educator's Bill of …

Texas does not have online voter registration, but you can update your information or request a voter registration card at www.votetexas.gov. (Rob Goebel/Adobe Stock)

TX voters encouraged to check status

The political climate is heating up in Texas as we get closer to the general election in November. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says more than one …

Texas no cuenta con registro de votantes en l�nea, pero puede actualizar su informaci�n o solicitar una tarjeta de registro de votantes en www.votetexas.gov. (Rob Goebel/Adobe Stock)

Se alienta a los votantes de TX a verificar el estado de su registro de votantes

El clima político se está calentando en Texas a medida que nos acercamos a las elecciones generales de noviembre. El gobernador de Texas…

Texas delegates to the Democratic National Convention are discussing a variety of issues important to the state, from abortion to school vouchers. (Photo courtesy Sylvia Lagos)

Texas delegates at DNC 'excited about the future'

Texas is well represented at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, just as it was at the Republican National Convention last month …

Statistics show women vote at a higher rate than men. (Richard Miller/Adobe Stock)

TX nonprofit works to get more women engaged in elections

As the general election in November gets closer, more Americas are showing interest in getting involved in the electoral process. There is a new …

Las estad�sticas muestran que las mujeres votan en mayor proporci�n que los hombres. (Richard Miller/Adobe Stock)

Organización trabaja para que más mujeres participen en elecciones en TX

A medida que se acercan las elecciones generales de noviembre, más estadounidenses muestran interés en involucrarse en el proceso electoral…

Democrats have a chance for a reset at their August convention, but an SMU political science professor says the party must proceed carefully to pick its new presidential nominee in a smooth and graceful manner. (Fox_Dsign/Adobe Stock)

TX political science professor weighs in after Biden exits race

With fewer than four months before the November general election, Democrats are planning their next move following President Joe Biden's decision to …

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten will deliver her 'State of the Union' keynote address on Monday, July 22. (dragonstock/Adobe Stock}

Thousands of teachers expected in TX for their annual convention

Thousands of educators from across the nation will be in Houston starting this weekend for the American Federation of Teachers annual convention…

Student Fellows, Lorena and Camila, participating at a community event in Tyler, TX. (photo courtesy of Este Poder)

East TX nonprofit works to register young voters of color

The nonprofit Este Poder has a goal of helping more young people of color in rural east Texas exercise their right to vote. The organization holds …

In virtually identical court declarations, professors involved in a lawsuit against the Biden administration said they will not honor any student's demands to be addressed by the singular pronoun

Texas professors wage war on Title IX, threatening students' rights to abortions

By Shoshanna Ehrlich for Ms. Magazine.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Texas News Service reporting for the Ms. Magazine-Public News Service …

Families say they agreed to the settlement with Uvalde because they did not want to bankrupt the city. (Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock)

Remembering the Uvalde mass shooting; two years ago today

Two years ago today, a teenager killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. The families of those shot and killed have …

Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton agrees to deal to have felony securities fraud charges dropped against him. (Alice Linahan, Voices Empower/Wikimedia)

TX Attorney General gets deal but legal issues not over

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has emerged from a long court case with another win. After nine years and multiple delays, prosecutors …

Out-of-state money is pouring into Texas as the contentious issue of

Voucher, 'school choice' advocates work to influence Texas elections

By Jimmy Cloutier for OpenSecrets.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for Texas News Service reporting for the OpenSecrets-Public News Service Collaboratio…

The Texas teacher turnover rate in the 2022-2023 school year was 21.4%, an 81% increase from 12-years earlier, according to the Texas Education Agency. (Adobe Stock)

TX teachers say they are burned out, majority want to exit public education

Two-thirds of those who make the public schools function in Texas say they want to leave, according to a new survey and the teachers union said …

Election officials worry technology such as AI is growing faster than the regulatory tools available to keep it in check. (MoiraM/AdobeStock)

AI has potential to disrupt 2024 election in Texas, other states

The rise of artificial intelligence is raising alarm bells for election officials across the country. In Texas, Feb. 5 is the last day to register …

Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the United States ranks lowest in life expectancy, for both men and women, among comparable countries. (flysnow/Adobe Stock)

Study: Voting benefits your health as much as democracy

Voting is not only good for democracy - it's also good for your health, according to one of the nation's largest medical associations. The American …

A decline in local news is often correlated with the decline in voter participation, according to research by Northwestern University. (V.J. Matthew/Adobe Stock)

Study: Rural vibrancy diminishes with death of local newspapers

The media landscape has dramatically changed in the past 20 years, evidenced by a new study that shows three million residents in more than 200 …

The United States has warned nearly 100 countries that Russian intelligence is ramping up efforts to destabilize democracies by raising doubts about elections integrity. (Argus/AdobeStock)

Democracy experts worry about chaos, violence ahead of 2024 elections

An election law expert says guilty pleas from Trump lawyers in Georgia's election interference case probably won't change the minds of voters who thin…

Estados Unidos ha advertido a casi 100 pa�ses de que la inteligencia rusa est� intensificando sus esfuerzos para desestabilizar las democracias sembrando dudas sobre la integridad de las elecciones. (Argus/AdobeStock)

Expertos en democracia temen caos y violencia antes de las elecciones de 2024

Un experto en derecho electoral dice que las declaraciones de culpabilidad de los abogados de Trump en el caso de interferencia electoral de Georgia p…

People with additional years of education beyond high school tend to be more civic-minded and interact more with neighbors and family members, according to a recent Gallup poll. (GetStock/Adobe Stock)

Polarizing social issues complicate college choice for high-schoolers

By Jon Marcus for The Hechinger Report.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for Texas News Service reporting for The Hechinger Report-Public News Service Co…

Los datos del censo de 2020 muestran que el 95% del crecimiento de Texas proviene de comunidades de color que votan por los dem�cratas, pero los mapas de redistribuci�n de distritos favorecen en gran medida a los candidatos republicanos. (Andrii Koval/AdobeStock)

En medio de múltiples demandas, la redistribución de distritos de TX obtiene D- del organismo de control electoral

A una profesora de matemáticas de Texas que estudia la redistribución de distritos no le sorprende que un grupo de vigilancia electoral no p…

Census data from 2020 shows 95% of Texas' growth is communities of color that vote Democratic, but redistricting maps heavily favor Republican candidates. (AndriiKoval/Adobe Stock)

Amid multiple lawsuits, Texas' redistricting gets D- from elections watchdog

A Texas math professor who studies redistricting is not surprised a nonpartisan elections watchdog group has given the state's redistricting process a…

Texas is one of only a handful of states that does not allow online voter registration. (Seventyfour/AdobeStock)

TX Joins Momentous Effort to Register Young Voters of Color

The annual National Voter Registration Day returns tomorrow, and a Texas organization has a goal of registering 1,200 new young voters from diverse …

Texas es uno de los pocos estados que no permite el registro de votantes en l�nea. (Seventyfour/AdobeStock)

TX se une a esfuerzo trascendental para registrar a jóvenes votantes de color

El Día Nacional de Registro de Votantes anual regresa mañana, y una organización de Texas tiene el objetivo de registrar 1.200 nuevos …

Some 8 million Texans cast a ballot in the November 2022 midterm election, just 45.7% of the state's 17.7 million registered voters. (Burlingham/AdobeStock)

Texas Becomes Largest Republican-led State to Exit Voter Data Group

There was no evidence of significance voter fraud in the 2020 election, but it has not stopped Texas from withdrawing from a system used by 30 states …

More than 1,000 days since voters went to the polls in the 2020 presidential election, the results are likely to be a topic at this week's first Republican 2024 debate in Milwaukee. (maylim/AdobeStock)

America's "Dog Days of Summer" Dogged by Politics

Voters, who couldn't be blamed for looking away from the news during the "Dog Days" of August, especially election news, instead find themselves …

Parents, educators and others protested Thursday ahead of the first public board meeting since the Texas Education Agency took over the Houston Independent School District. (ACLU of Texas)

Texas Assumes Leadership of Houston's Largest School District

Parents and educators in the Houston Independent School District said they are all for improving schools but do not believe a state takeover by an une…

Award-winning journalist Molly Ivins worked at the Texas Observer in the 1970s, calling it a

The Texas Observer Lives to See Another Print Run

The Texas Observer, a nonprofit news organization known for its liberal, independent reporting and cultural criticism, will continue publishing…

Sheriffs In Texas, Elsewhere Seek Validation as New Election Police

By Jessica Pishko for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for Texas News Service reporting for the Pulitzer Center-…

San Antonio's retired Army Gen. Patrick Brady received the National Medal of Honor for his rescue of more than 5,000 people wounded in helicopter combat missions, during two tours in Vietnam. (National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation Staff)

Veterans' Stories to Live On at TX National Medal of Honor Museum

Construction of the Medal of Honor Museum and Foundation is under way in Arlington, Texas - a place to pay tribute to those who've earned the …

The Castner Range contains cultural sites that document the history of Native tribes, while also providing habitat for wildlife such as the golden eagle, mountain lions and the western burrowing owl. (Dale/AdobeStock)

Texas' Poppy-Covered Castner Range Now State's Third National Monument

A celebration will be held in El Paso Friday after five decades of activism paid off, when President Joe Biden designated Texas' Castner Range a …

Legislation being considered by Texas lawmakers would prevent Houston from adopting labor union bills meant to protect workers from the summer heat. (peuceta/AdobeStock)

TX Lawmakers Consider Legislation to Prevent Cities from Self-Governance

Texas' GOP-dominated legislature is considering bills to flip the script on powers traditionally afforded home-rule cities, instead forcing them to …

School board meetings have historically included intense cultural debates, such as the teaching of evolution, the removal of offensive sports mascots, or educator-required

Conservative 'M4L' Group Sets Sights on School Boards, Book Bans

A group formed to oppose COVID-19 mask mandates is expanding its agenda to influence school board elections, and a national watchdog group believes …

College and university students are more racially and ethnically diverse than ever, but obstacles in many states can reduce their voter turnout. (Seventyfour/AdobeStock)

Texas Lawmaker Files Bill to Ban Voting on College Campuses

Texas voting advocates say a bill before the Legislature to ban polling sites on college campuses for fear of mass shootings is instead a direct attac…

Since the 2020 election, GOP-led states have enacted 102 new election penalties, according to an analysis by States Newsroom and the Voting Rights Lab. (niyazz/AdobeStock)

TX Lawmakers Consider Bills to Restrict, Expand Voting in 2023 Session

By nearly every measure, voter fraud in U.S. elections is rare, but that isn't stopping the Texas Legislature from considering dozens of bills this …

Black renters receive a disproportionate share of eviction filings and experience the highest rates of eviction filings and eviction judgments, according to the publication Sociological Science. (WayhomeStudio/Adobe Stock)

Study: TX Cities Spend More on Police, Less on Community Supports

The five largest cities in Texas are spending far more money on criminal justice than on community services, according to a new study. The Social …

The 2023 U.S. Congress will include lots of new faces, but many of the same old problems of divided government. (chaiyapruek/Adobe Stock)

Opinion: A Survivable Future through Contraction, Not Expansion

It's 2023, and with it lawmakers will focus on some new, and plenty of old, problems. A retired Texas journalism professor believes while short-term …

Early voting in Texas showed a 31% turnout, compared with 40% in the 2018 midterm elections, according to the Texas Secretary of State's office. (AdobeStock)

Midterms Arrive: Texas Voters Choose Next Governor

A Texas academic expects Republicans to do well in today's midterms, but worries some candidates who lose could claim fraud, eroding trust in future …

Following the first week of early voting, the Texas Secretary of State website showed a 15% lower turnout compared to 2020 and 2018. (Adobe Stock)

Early Voting in Texas Gets Off to Lackluster Start

Days remain before the midterm election, and so far, Texas voter turnout has been lackluster. As of Sunday, Tarrant County turnout was 20% lower …

Early voting for the Nov. 8 election is under way in Texas and will continue until Nov. 4.

Midterm Elections Could Be Test for Democracy

Early voting is underway in Texas, and many of the candidates on the midterm ballot still refuse to accept the 2020 presidential victory of Joe Biden …

The U.S. Army had its highest number of active duty personnel in 2020, according to Statista.com. (PatouRicard/Pixabay)

TX Writer: Low-Income Youths Targeted for Military Service

By Aina Marzia for Yes! Media.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for Texas News Service reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service Collaboration …

A new poll from Quinnipiac University shows Texas voters say the border, at 38%, ranks first as the most urgent issue facing Texas, followed by abortion and inflation. (Wikilmages/Pixabay)

Border Issues Reign for Texas Voters, Immigration Advocates

A Texas human-rights advocacy and immigration-reform group opened two new community centers this week to help residents better understand their freedo…

The last day for Texans to register to vote or change their address before the Nov. 8 election is Oct. 11. (Larisa/Pixabay)

As Midterm Elections Approach, What Are the Risks?

Ahead of the November midterms, the Texas Secretary of State outlined details last week for a campaign aimed at educating voters before the November …

One in 16 African Americans of voting age is disenfranchised, a rate 3.7 times greater than that of non-African Americans, according to The Sentencing Project. (themarshallproject.org)

Report: 'Unlock the Vote' at U.S. Jails Shows Progress, Obstacles

Every election, thousands of people are disenfranchised from voting because they are incarcerated. But Houston's Harris County Jail has shown the two …

One in five election officials who withstood the 2020 pres�sure campaign said they plan to leave before the 2024 elec�tion, according to a recent Bren�nan Center survey. (PeteLinforth/Pixabay)

Will MAGA Election Deniers Upend Midterms?

The midterm election on Nov. 8 will be a referendum on President Joe Biden and Democrats, but also a preview of what could happen at polling places …

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TX: Civic Engagement & Voting