Texas
Digital twin helps Texas port track operations, plan ahead
The Port of Corpus Christi deployed its Overall Port Tactical Information Computer System to provide a “single pane of glass” to law enforcement and other authorities who monitor it.
Data centers are booming in Texas. What does that mean for the grid?
As energy demand surges, largely due to crypto mining facilities, data centers and industrial electrification, Texas officials are looking at how to increase supply and shore up the grid.
Online age verification laws await legal spotlight
A Texas law requiring adult websites to use age verification technology to limit minors’ access goes before the Supreme Court next week, as similar laws are springing up in other states.
Meta to move content moderators to Texas as part of plan to end fact-checking program
The tech giant’s decision to end the program comes as CEO Mark Zuckerberg seeks to mend ties with the incoming Trump administration.
Amid a $7 million deficit to Texas’ suicide hotline, thousands of calls are abandoned monthly
The state’s 988 suicide had the nation’s fifth highest rate of abandoned calls in August, the latest data available, amid a multi-million funding deficit that could worsen as federal dollars expire this year.
Texas has billions pledged to expand broadband. Spending it is taking a while.
Despite the efforts of local governments and others, the move to provide internet access to millions of Texans has been slow and faces new challenges.
Computer programs monitor students’ every word in the name of safety
Companies tout security features; privacy advocates dislike constant surveillance.
Election workers may need to become whistleblowers this fall
Legal groups stand ready to help election workers navigate the legal realities of “see something, say something.”
Little-noticed statehouse races could reshape election policies next year
In several swing states, control of legislative chambers—and agendas—is on the ballot in November.
Six months later, what did cities learn from the solar eclipse? Plan, plan, plan.
Communities in the path of totality look back at the lessons learned. Preparing for the worst and biggest impacts is worth it, they say.
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Hungry for affordable housing, communities turn to land trusts
The old-school approach is garnering renewed interest amid a nationwide housing crisis. The model promises permanently affordable housing.
These counties are recruiting teenagers to shore up a corrections guard shortage
Two counties in Texas house training programs in local high schools as officials pitch corrections jobs as gateways to criminal justice careers.
Humans of Public Service inspires a new generation of government employees
About 850,000 state and local jobs went unfilled last year, as public agencies struggle to find workers. This nonprofit is using social media to entice them.
‘License plate flippers’ help drivers evade police, tickets and tolls
A few states and cities are cracking down on the devices, which obscure or conceal license plates.
Few states require foster homes to respect LGBTQ youths' identities
The lack of explicit anti-discrimination policies around gender and sexuality can have dire consequences for children and teens, advocates say.
A fifth of U.S. green hydrogen projects eyed for water-stressed areas
As the federal government pours billions into hydrogen production to lower greenhouse gas emissions, critics worry water shortages in the Southwest could worsen.
Guaranteed income programs might improve people's lives, but not their health
A new study examining cash transfer programs' effects on participants' health found limited impact.
Stuck bridges, buckling roads—extreme heat is wreaking havoc on America’s aging infrastructure
COMMENTARY | The rate at which a bridge or road deteriorates depends not only on the materials and construction methods used but also on the climate during the structure’s life span.
The Rio Grande Valley’s pet population is out of control. Will a proposed limit in one city help?
Local leaders began debating a household limit on the number of pets after two residents were arrested for having 93 dogs and a cat in their home.
Texas is once more flirting with expanding passenger rail
The state’s booming population, congestion problems and billions of federal dollars on the table have officials eyeing ways to boost passenger rail.
