Long lines linger at Houston’s biggest airport as TSA agents miss work during partial government shutdown

The ongoing partial government shutdown has led to long security lines at airports across the country, but no airport has felt the effects as acutely as George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. On Thursday, wait times at Bush, one of the nation’s busiest airports, reached four hours or more, with lines extending outside its terminals. Passenger volume at Bush is expected to get worse this weekend, driven by major events in Houston, including the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament. The lines are a result of many Transportation Security Administration officers — who aren’t getting paid during the shutdown — not coming to work. As airline passengers waited in long lines and congressional negotiators appeared far from a deal to fund the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, President Donald Trump late Thursday said on social media that he will sign an emergency order for the department, which oversees TSA, to immediately pay TSA officers. He did not elaborate where the money for the agency, unfunded by Congress for more than a month, would come from.
Northside ISD has nearly $200 million in 2022 bond project ‘on hold’

Nine school improvement projects totaling nearly $200 million from Northside Independent School District's 2022 bond issue are "on hold" with no indication of when the projects will be built. Just four years after its nearly $1 billion bond election, San Antonio's largest school district intends to seek voter approval in November on a bond package for security upgrades and other improvements. Northside's Building Committee got an update Wednesday on the $198.47 million in projects that were approved nearly four years ago but have not since been executed. Superintendent John Craft told a panel of trustees he wants to "be careful in not putting millions and millions of dollars into these facilities and then having to come back in a very short amount of time (and saying), 'Well, we really need more science labs.'
147 measles cases reported in Texas so far this year, most of them in federal detention centers

Local officials report that 108 of the cases originated in a contracted detention facility in Hudspeth County. The largest outbreak is in a single contracted federal detention facility in Hudspeth County, as of March 18, according to DSHS. Hudspeth County Judge Joanna MacKenzie told The Texas Tribune that the 108 cases are all at the West Texas Detention Facility, which is managed by LaSalle Corrections, a private company. The facility has previously housed immigrant detainees, though it’s not clear if it still does. It does not appear on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s list of detention facilities. “Not having jurisdiction, my office is not involved in response,” MacKenzie added in a statement, “however I remain in communication with DSHS and LaSalle, as I regularly do.”
Why an East Texas rancher donated part of his water rights to the state

JEFFERSON COUNTY — Bob Sanders bumps along the dirt roads of his 1,100-acre ranch in a beat up burgundy Chevrolet Suburban, the engine roaring as his sprawling cattle operation, known locally for its wagyu beef, stretches around him. A shotgun rides in the passenger seat and battered binoculars sit on the dashboard. The sloping pasture where his rust-colored cows graze gives way to trees that flank a narrow ribbon of water. It doesn’t look like much, just a slow-moving channel threading through sweetgums and cypress, but this 2.6-mile stretch of the Big Cypress Bayou carries a lot of weight — it connects Lake O’ the Pines, the region’s main water supply, to Caddo Lake, the state’s only natural lake. Water feels abundant in the area. But even in this lush corner of the state, water is increasingly top of mind. For Sanders and many of his neighbors, the bayou represents something increasingly fragile in Texas: water that still belongs to the landscape it came from. The sloping pasture where his rust-colored cows graze gives way to trees that flank a narrow ribbon of water. It doesn’t look like much, just a slow-moving channel threading through sweetgums and cypress, but this 2.6-mile stretch of the Big Cypress Bayou carries a lot of weight — it connects Lake O’ the Pines, the region’s main water supply, to Caddo Lake, the state’s only natural lake. Water feels abundant in the area. But even in this lush corner of the state, water is increasingly top of mind. For Sanders and many of his neighbors, the bayou represents something increasingly fragile in Texas: water that still belongs to the landscape it came from.
Muslim parents, private schools sue Texas over exclusion of Islamic institutions in voucher program

The federal lawsuits argue Texas officials are engaging in religious discrimination by preventing Islamic private schools from accessing state voucher money. Four Muslim parents and three private schools have sued Texas leaders for excluding Islamic private schools from participating in the state’s private school voucher program. The two federal lawsuits ask the court to block the voucher program from discriminating on the basis of religion. The first suit, filed March 1 by a parent acting on behalf of two children who attend a Houston private school, names Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock and Education Commissioner Mike Morath as defendants. A second suit filed March 11 by three parents and three schools names Hancock and Mary Katherine Stout, education savings account program manager, as defendants. Here’s what to know.
As Superintendent Karen Molinar exits takeover, Texas signals a hard reset for Fort Worth ISD

FWISD Superintendent Karen Molinar observed the children learning as she visited classrooms Monday and Tuesday, knowing the clock on her three decades in Fort Worth schools was winding down. Molinar, 51, learned her time in the district that grew her from a reading teacher into a principal and, eventually, the leader of its schools was over after the Texas education commissioner told her last week she won’t serve during the state takeover. She informed families and staff Wednesday that she will not remain as superintendent. “I promised them at the beginning of this that I would be transparent, and I would give them updates,” Molinar told the Fort Worth Report. “I had to do that even when it came to what would happen to me personally and professionally. I had to stand up to my word.” Her impending departure from FWISD drew mixed reactions. Some teachers, parents and city leaders praised Molinar’s decades of service and insisted she should remain in the role during the takeover. Others argued new leadership is necessary as state leaders try to turnaround years of failing academics in Fort Worth.

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Judge dismisses Paxton lawsuit over Bexar County immigration program

March 2308:33 AM

A Bexar County judge on Friday dismissed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit challenging the county’s immigration legal services program, bringing an end to weeks of legal battles before any court could hear the merits of the case. In Bexar County’s presiding court, 408th Civil District Court Judge Angelica Jimenez granted the county’s motion to dismiss filed earlier this week, ruling the case is moot after the remaining funds tied to the program were already distributed. view article

Statue of Christopher Columbus installed on White House grounds

March 2305:00 AM

A statue of Christopher Columbus has been erected outside of an ornate federal office building on the White House grounds — the latest sign of the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape cultural and historical representations across the nation’s capital. The installation of the statue — which is a replica of one toppled in Baltimore during racial justice protests in 2020 — occurred over the weekend outside of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. It comes as the Trump administration pushes forward with its efforts to bring back statues that were removed in the wake of the protests. President Donald Trump, in a letter published by the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, praised the group for its “incredible generosity” in bringing the statue to Washington after the original was “torn down by anti-American rioters.” view article

Drop in opioid overdose deaths nears 50% since 2023

March 2008:55 AM

Factors include reduced fentanyl supply and help with treatment. Since their peak less than three years ago, opioid overdose deaths dropped nearly by half as of October, according to a Stateline analysis. The drop comes as a shrinking fentanyl supply has made the drug weaker and less deadly and volunteer efforts get more people into treatment. The weaker fentanyl tracks to a crackdown on materials used to make fentanyl in China around the time U.S. deaths started dropping in 2023. Some experts see it as a welcome, but possibly temporary, break for states in a scourge that boosted crime as people who are using the drugs sometimes fall into homelessness and steal to support fentanyl habits. The numbers and rates of opioid overdose deaths fell for all races between 2023 and 2026, according to more detailed data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed by Stateline. That’s in contrast to an earlier trend from 2019 to 2023, when rates dropped only among white people and rose sharply among Black and Indigenous Americans. view article

Northside ISD has nearly $200 million in 2022 bond project ‘on hold’

March 2008:53 AM

Nine school improvement projects totaling nearly $200 million from Northside Independent School District's 2022 bond issue are "on hold" with no indication of when the projects will be built. Just four years after its nearly $1 billion bond election, San Antonio's largest school district intends to seek voter approval in November on a bond package for security upgrades and other improvements. Northside's Building Committee got an update Wednesday on the $198.47 million in projects that were approved nearly four years ago but have not since been executed. Superintendent John Craft told a panel of trustees he wants to "be careful in not putting millions and millions of dollars into these facilities and then having to come back in a very short amount of time (and saying), 'Well, we really need more science labs.' view article

Improving driver education for neurodivergent teens, young adults focus of UTA research

March 2006:00 AM

Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington are exploring ways to better prepare neurodivergent drivers for life behind the wheel. The study aims to inform the development of driver education programs for neurodivergent teens and young adults, officials said. The research is funded by a yearlong grant of nearly $172,000 from the Texas Department of Transportation. Few driver education programs exist for neurodivergent youths, said Kate Hyun, an associate professor of civil engineering who leads the study. Those programs are broad for a population that does not all experience neurodivergence the same, she added. “We did a little research, and we found there are like five, six programs nationwide targeted for them, but not necessarily very well customized to meet their needs because there are many different types of neurodivergence and there is a wide spectrum around it,” Hyun said. view article

147 measles cases reported in Texas so far this year, most of them in federal detention centers

March 2005:07 AM

Local officials report that 108 of the cases originated in a contracted detention facility in Hudspeth County. The largest outbreak is in a single contracted federal detention facility in Hudspeth County, as of March 18, according to DSHS. Hudspeth County Judge Joanna MacKenzie told The Texas Tribune that the 108 cases are all at the West Texas Detention Facility, which is managed by LaSalle Corrections, a private company. The facility has previously housed immigrant detainees, though it’s not clear if it still does. It does not appear on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s list of detention facilities. “Not having jurisdiction, my office is not involved in response,” MacKenzie added in a statement, “however I remain in communication with DSHS and LaSalle, as I regularly do.” view article

Gas prices are spiking in Houston—but this neighborhood is on another level

March 2005:00 AM

Some Houston drivers are already feeling the pinch more than others. As gas prices surge across the United States amid escalating conflict in Iran following U.S.-Israeli strikes last month, some Houston drivers are already feeling the pinch more than others. And in one of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods, the price gap is hard to ignore. view article

The fight to stay home: How a Texas lawsuit could upend disability care

March 1908:53 AM

In his homeschool curriculum, 12-year-old Luke Lunday is learning about Section 504, a cornerstone of disability rights. Championed by disability rights activist Judy Heumann, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is responsible for what’s known as the integration mandate, which requires that people with disabilities have access to services in their homes and communities, rather than an institution view article

Texas jails aren’t meeting deadlines to free inmates, costing some counties thousands in settlements

March 1908:43 AM

The state does not track the prevalence or provide guidance on the issue, leaving inmates to languish in jail and eventually sue counties for damages. Jessica Jackson was supposed to be released from Dallas County jail in time for the holidays last year. She was arrested in early December for misdemeanor drug possession and violating parole, but was credited time for two years she’d already served on a previous aggravated robbery sentence. With the credits, Jackson was eligible for release on Dec. 19, when a judge ruled she had no time left to serve. But, Christmas passed, then New Year’s, and despite daily calls to jail staff from her public defender, family and a friend trying to help her, she could not understand why she was still in jail. view article

Two Islamic schools approved for Texas school choice program after judge’s order

March 1908:40 AM

The Texas Comptroller's Office has approved two Islamic private schools from North Texas to take part in the state's taxpayer‑funded school choice program. The move comes one day after Houston federal judge Alfred Bennett ordered the state to consider the schools' applications – a step the schools say Texas had previously refused to take. Records from the comptroller's office, which oversees the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program, show Excellence Academy, a private Islamic school in McKinney, has now been approved to participate. By Wednesday afternoon, the school appeared on the state's website of participating schools. Ehsan Sayed, a board member and graduate of Brighter Horizons Academy in Garland, told CBS News Texas on Wednesday afternoon that they had just learned the state had also approved their school view article

Court approves new manager for Dallas-area foster care program after deaths of 2 infants

March 1908:30 AM

An experienced child welfare manager was appointed to take over case management after “systemic failures” placed children in danger, court records said. view article

UNCOVERED: A School Board Candidate’s Sexually Explicit Posts

March 1908:30 AM

Voters will decide who will fill three school board trustee spots on May 2. Screenshots of social media posts from the accounts of David Greene, a Katy Independent School District school board candidate, express support for the LGBT ideology, with one being sexually explicit. view article

KFDM analysis: Which Southeast Texas districts have the most school voucher applicants

March 1905:37 AM

Beaumont ISD: 987 Port Arthur ISD: 183 Lumberton ISD: 166 Hardin-Jefferson ISD: 105 Vidor ISD: 97 Silsbee ISD: 95 Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD: 80 Nederland ISD: 78 West Orange Cove CISD: 49 Port Neches-Groves ISD: 46 Bridge City ISD: 45 Hamshire-Fannett ISD: 44 Jasper ISD: 31 view article

Defendants in Lottery Rigging Lawsuit Continue Fighting Calls for Transparency

March 1905:02 AM

Litigation over a rigged $95M lottery jackpot includes a fight to hide companies and individuals involved in a scheme dubbed “money laundering” by lawmakers. Defendants in a high-profile lawsuit involving the alleged rigging of the Texas Lottery are continuing to fight attempts to expose their corporate interests. The controversy surrounding the jackpot in question led Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to describe the Texas Lottery as “probably the biggest money laundering scheme in the country.” view article

Journalists, Not Prosecutors, Keep Uncovering the Texas Lottery Scandal

March 1905:01 AM

As investigations appear to stall, new international reporting sheds light on how a secretive gambling syndicate rigged a $95 million Lotto Texas jackpot in 2023. Recent reporting by an Australian investigative journalist is shedding new light on the secretive gambling syndicate that, with assistance from the Texas Lottery Commission, rigged a $95 million Lotto Texas jackpot in April 2023. The fallout from that jackpot, along with mounting public pressure and scrutiny from lawmakers during the 2025 legislative session, led to the dissolution of the Texas Lottery Commission and the launch of two official investigations, which so far have produced no results after more than a year. view article

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Texas’ drag show ban takes effect after years of court challenges

March 1905:00 AM

A federal court cleared the way for Senate Bill 12, which prohibits drag performances on public property or in front of children, to take effect Wednesday. view article

Abbott Blocks Annual Cesar Chavez Observation in Texas

March 1905:00 AM

Texas will not observe Cesar Chavez Day this year. Gov. Greg Abbott announced yesterday that revelations of the progressive icon’s history of sexual assault are enough to withdraw the annual observance and strike it from state law. Chavez, a socialist union organizer, has been hailed a hero on the left since before his death in 1993. Over the last 30 years, Democrats have rushed to name schools and streets after him. His birthday, March 31, became a federal holiday under Barack Obama in 2014. view article

Texas clarifies voucher rules to help more families access future special ed support

March 1905:00 AM

After reporting from The Texas Tribune, the office tasked with handing out vouchers clarified that families who do not complete a special education evaluation this year may have a chance to qualify for more funding in future years. The comptroller’s office on Thursday clarified its interpretation of Texas’ school voucher law in a way that could help students with disabilities qualify for nearly $20,000 more each year in taxpayer funds.Senate Bill 2 provides families roughly $10,500 per year to pay for private school and $2,000 for home-schoolers. Students with disabilities can qualify for up to $30,000 — but only if they have received a special education evaluation from a public school. view article

UNT ‘Algorithmic Equity’ Venture Seeks to ‘Transform Mathematics.’

March 1904:00 AM

Regent approval comes at a time of public concern about “Woke AI.” Khan’s development leave request further elaborates that her intent is to integrate “artificial intelligence with equity-driven practices.”The leave request further states that the project’s objective is to explore “how artificial intelligence can support equity in developmental mathematics.” On October 3, Casa de Calvo wrote to interim Provost Christopher Markwood in support of Khan’s leave application. Khan’s “proposal reflects an effort to connect research on pedagogy, equity, and artificial intelligence in ways that may benefit our students and faculty,” wrote Casa de Calvo. “The project aims to integrate AI with equity-driven practices through the development of an Algorithmic Equity Framework,” Casa de Calvo continues. Khan’s proposal “is aligned with our institutional priorities.” While state lawmakers prohibited aspects of DEI ideology in 2023, that prohibition does not extend to this sort of research. view article

Former MD Anderson Researcher Pleads Guilty To Stealing Cancer Research for China

March 1808:46 AM

Chinese national who spent three years researching cancer at MD Anderson while secretly working for a Chinese university has been sentenced to 364 days in the Harris County jail. view article

Ilhan Omar claims Trump wants to sleep with his daughter and calls his supporters ‘stupid’ in crazed rant

March 1808:33 AM

Omar posted the insults after the president asked for an investigation into her alleged role in Somali fraud. view article

Lorena students call for voice in school book selection

March 1808:30 AM

Two Lorena High School seniors think a recent state law allowing parents more input in what books are in school libraries and classrooms leaves out an important voice: students. Bethany Ryan and Megan Vrana, both 18 and avid readers, have put their argument together in "Every Voice Deserves a Shelf," a project submitted for competition organized by the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America student organization. view article

Teacher, Boyfriend Face New Charges Tied to Child Sexual Abuse

March 1805:38 AM

Substitute teacher Madison Jones and her boyfriend Zackery Dondlinger now face a total of 39 felony charges, including aggravated sexual assault of a 5-year-old child. New charges have been filed in a shocking case of a woman accused of sexually abusing a 5-year-old to gratify a man. North Texas substitute teacher Madison Paige Jones and her boyfriend Zackery Harold Dondlinger, who were arrested in December, have now been indicted on a total of 39 child sex crime charges related to the case. Jones, 31, was a substitute teacher in the Midlothian Independent School District at the time of her arrest on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child and possession of more than 500 images of child sexual abuse material. Dondlinger, Jones’ 37-year-old boyfriend, was arrested a week later in Loving County. Both are now being held in the Wayne McCollum Detention Center in Ellis County. view article

Cornyn, Paxton decline to withdraw from Texas Senate runoff ballot as deadline passes

March 1805:31 AM

The day after the March 3 primary, President Donald Trump pledged to endorse either John Cornyn or Ken Paxton “soon,” and call on the other to drop out. He has yet to make an endorsement. view article

State Agency Investigating Islamic-Tied Charter School

March 1805:22 AM

The Texas Education Agency stated it has an open investigation into Manara Academy after allegations of prohibited “instructional materials.” “TEA can confirm an open investigation involving Manara Academy. Under Texas Education Code, Chapter 39, the investigation is examining district-level systems, practices and compliance related to allegations concerning prohibited use of instructional materials and classroom activities. No final conclusions or determinations have been made at this time,” the agency wrote in a statement to Texas Scorecard. view article

Corpus Christi water emergency may be just two months away, city leaders say

March 1805:00 AM

Two out of the five projections city leaders presented Tuesday showed water shortages beginning in May. The city has yet to detail plans for how to reduce water use for residents and businesses. Corpus Christi leaders on Tuesday unveiled new projections suggesting that the city could be just two months away from triggering emergency water measures. At a marathon city council meeting that stretched for 10 hours, Nick Winkelmann, interim chief operating officer of Corpus Christi Water, outlined five potential scenarios — two of which would push the city into a level one water emergency by May. At that point, the city’s water supply would be projected to fall short of demand within 180 days. When pressed by council member Kaylynn Paxson on which scenario the city is preparing to follow, staffers at the water utility said they expect to narrow the possibilities down to two or three in the coming weeks as more data becomes available. view article

Texas School Superintendent Salaries Keep Creeping Higher

March 1805:00 AM

Administrators’ taxpayer-funded compensation continues to grow as student enrollment shrinks. Newly released Texas Education Agency data for the 2025-26 school year show 16 superintendents receive taxpayer-funded salaries that top $400,000—more than the president of the United States. (Last year, that number was 11.) Here are the superintendents that the TEA lists as making more than $400,000 annually: view article

Texas School Superintendent Salaries Keep Creeping Higher

March 1805:00 AM

Obama-Appointed Judge Criticizes Texas School Choice Program For Excluding Islamic Schools

March 1805:00 AM

Judge Bennett cited the “troubling” lack of Islamic schools in ordering the extension. An Obama-appointed federal judge has extended the state’s application deadline for its new school choice program to March 31, while lawsuits proceed over the exclusion of Islamic schools. The original deadline was Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. U.S. District Court Judge Alfred Bennett of the Southern District of Texas in Houston reportedly called the lack of Islamic schools “troubling.” There are two federal lawsuits currently before Judge Bennett challenging Texas’ exclusion of certain Islamic private schools from the program for having terrorist ties. Earlier this week, the State advised the court that it is unopposed to consolidating the two cases. view article

Good morning, neighbor.

March 1708:50 AM

Two North Texas school districts navigating state intervention are making big moves to accelerate academic progress for kids. In Lake Worth ISD, Superintendent Mark Ramirez stepped down as trustees approved layoffs tied to restructuring the campus that triggered the state takeover. Meanwhile in Fort Worth ISD, leaders are offering $100,000 starting salaries for teachers at six struggling schools as part of their turnaround strategy. view article

Applications for private school vouchers close today. Demand already exceeds available money.

March 1708:50 AM

More than 200,000 students have applied for state money for private school. Most attended private school or home-school last school year, early data shows. Texas’ school voucher applications close Tuesday, as early data shows most applicants attended a private school or home-school as of last year. The applications for families wanting to use public funds to pay for private school or home-school during the 2026-27 academic year will remain open until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday. view article

East Texas elementary school employee accused of having child porn arrested

March 1708:40 AM

East Texas elementary school employee accused of having child porn arrested ONALASKA, Texas — An East Texas elementary school employee accused of having child porn was arrested Tuesday night. Jerry Cobb, 47, was booked into the Angelina County Jail for warrants out of the Onalaska Police Department, including two counts of assault and possession of child pornography, according to OPD. view article

After Monica De La Cruz helps migrant teen in ICE custody, Texas man seeks similar aid for fiancée

March 1708:31 AM

RAYMONDVILLE — Juan Rodriguez stood outside the El Valle Detention Center and watched as U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz escorted Antonio Gámez-Cuéllar, a McAllen teenager who had been detained there for 12 days. Rodriguez was one of several demonstrators protesting Gámez-Cuéllar’s detainment. He took an interest in the teenager’s case because his fiancée is being held in the same facility and has a similar legal status. The Gámez-Cuéllar family’s surprise detainment sparked nationwide outrage, propelled by the fact that they were detained while complying with a requirement to check in with the government — and because the brothers were part of an award-winning high school mariachi group who were invited by De La Cruz to perform at the U.S. Capitol last summer. view article

Lufkin ISD holds community meeting on $140 million bond proposal

March 1708:30 AM

Lufkin ISD holds community meeting on $140 million bond proposal view article

Parents demand stronger safety measures after gun incidents at Klein ISD schools

March 1708:27 AM

Parents in Klein ISD are calling for stronger school safety measures after a series of gun-related incidents across the district, including one involving a man investigators say entered an elementary school campus while armed. An online petition created by a group calling itself the Klein ISD Parent Safety Coalition is gaining traction as families push district leaders to take additional steps to protect students. view article

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TexasISD.com was the brainchild of Joe F. Smith. Joe retired early from a successful career as Superintendent of Schools for Hudson ISD, deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas. Due to a long battle with Post-Polio Syndrome the doctor made him hang it up and rest for six months. Never being the kind of person to sit still and also not being the person to listen to his doctor, Joe logged lengthy sessions in front of his PC researching school issues, reading papers and corresponding with his friends and colleagues in the education business.

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