Petrochemical expansion in Texas will fall heavily on communities of color, study finds
| December 10, 2025
Researchers at Texas Southern University in Houston have analyzed demographic data around the locations of almost 100 industrial facilities proposed statewide and found that about 90 percent are located in counties with higher concentrations of people of color and families in poverty than statewide averages.
Time to spruce things up: Where to choose your own Christmas tree in Texas
| December 9, 2025
christmas | Community | CULTURE | HARDGATE | holiday | holiday season | HOLIDAYS | TEXAS | THINGS TO DO
Nothing quite compares to the smell of a fresh Christmas tree during the holidays. That cozy pine scent more than makes up for the inevitable floor full of needles—or the annoying task of keeping your pet out of the tree’s water.
Greg Abbott vows to put Turning Point USA chapters in all Texas schools
| December 9, 2025
Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick joined Turning Point USA Senior Director Josh Thifault in Austin on Monday to announce a partnership with the far-right organization.
Women, minority small business owners confused, worried after Texas kicks them off HUB program
| December 9, 2025
BLACK OWNED BUSINESS | local business | mom and pop businesses | SMALL BUSINESS | TEXAS | woman-owned business
But hours later, the comptroller’s office emailed Hartman again, notifying her and more than 15,000 other small businesses — nearly 97% of the certified HUB businesses in Texas — that they were being removed from the HUB program entirely.
Federal lawsuits challenging immigration detention flood Texas
| December 9, 2025
deportation | Donald Trump | due process rights | habeas corpus | habeas corpus petition | ICE | Laken Riley Act | mandatory detention | SATX | TEXAS | Trump administration | University of Texas at Austin
The wave of legal challenges is in response to the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement and its new policy expanding mandatory detention for undocumented immigrants.