Talarico spoke to a packed auditorium on the UT Austin campus on Friday evening as part of his "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts" tour.

Let Texans Do Texas, a newly-launched nonprofit, is calling on state and federal leaders to create a $2 billion border security fund specifically for the Big Bend region as an alternative to the Trump administration's border wall plans. The group says it's advocating for a local approach, rather than a "one-size-fits-all federal construction program."

The state health agency is also processing 64% of SNAP applications in a timely manner — within 30 days — even though the required rate is 95%.

Families whose children attend private schools that don't participate in Texas' voucher program can still qualify for up to $2,000 in taxpayer- funded educational expenses.

Watchdog groups Public Citizen and FracTracker said the agency approved stormwater permits related to data centers. The TCEQ says it hasn't violated the governor's pause on data center permits.

Lauren Bussiere is the head of collections at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, or TARL. She’s investigating more than 800 fiber artifacts collected in West Texas almost a century ago. Her project could shed new light on our region’s prehistory. It’s also opening new connections between her institution, which is charged with holding prehistoric artifacts, and the descendants of the people who made them.